Sarah Gilbert Confirms Relationship with Allison Adler: ‘Roseanne’ Star Comes Out of the Closet

July 29, 2010 11:39 PM EDT

Actress Sarah Gilbert, best known for her role as bratty Darlene on the sitcom ‘Roseanne,” comes out of the closet after years of keeping her relationship an “open secret” in Hollywood. At a press conference today in Los Angeles discussing her upcoming mom talk show co-starring Holly Robinson Peete and Sharon Osbourne, Sarah answered questions about her sexuality directly. “This is a whole new world for me,” Gilbert said, adding that she doesn’t “ever really think of things as out or in…I just think I am who I am.”

In previous years, Sarah Gilbert’s PR team requested that questions not be asked regarding her partner, Allison Adler, with whom she shares two children. But as her career shifts from acting roles, where she can immerse herself in a character, to a roundtable talk show where her opinions will stand as expressions of herself, it seems Sarah is finally comfortable discussing her personal life.

Sarah Gilbert is a talented actor and producer, and from all appearances, a fantastic mom to Levi, 5, and Sawyer, almost 3. Is her sexuality relevant, or should she and her family be shielded from the media frenzy surrounding her recent announcement? Certainly her revelation is well-timed—‘The Talk’ was already under fire for being a stale, unoriginal project.

While the loss of privacy may be a sacrifice, for the sake of Sarah’s new show and the integrity of its commentary on family and parenthood, this move seems to be a smart one. Her honesty—and her sincere, unassuming way of delivering the message—are admirable. Sarah’s partnership brings a new, fresh angle to the talk show, and will provide a healthy role model for other lesbian couples struggling to raise children in sometimes less-than-understanding environments.