The sexual fluidity of Clementine Ford

American actress Clementine Ford of The L Word fame caused a bit of a stir a few years back when she tried to define her sexual fluidity on her own terms.

The cover of Diva UK Magazine had it plastered in big, bold letters: “Clementine Ford Comes Out.”

Unfortunately, she was wildly misquoted in a magazine as coming out. When she tried to explain what she meant, she was accused of going back in the closet.

What Ford originally said was: “The truth is that I’m not technically out yet… There. Put that in your magazine.”

“For me, there’s never been a distinction about anything to do with sexuality, so there was no declaration to be made… My siblings and I would bring home men and women, and as long as they were human it wasn’t a big thing,” she added.

While it was a clear case of sexual fluidity, people started touting her as clear-cut lesbian.

Clementine Ford: Hollywood golden daughter

Still, Ford should be used to these kinds of misquotations and controversy.

She’s the daughter of one of the most famous women in Hollywood– the almost mirror-image of mom Cybil Shepherd– and half grew up in this kind of environment.

Born to parents Shepherd and nightclub entertainer David Ford on June 29, 1979, she shuttled between Los Angeles, where her mother lived, and Memphis, where her very Irish-Catholic father and step-mom lived.

This best-of-both-worlds set-up kept her grounded.

Clementine Ford as an actress

Ford started her film career in American Pie and played supporting roles in Bring It On and Cherry Falls.

People took notice of her when she played the role of Molly Kroll in The L Word. From 2007 to 2009, she was one of the loves of Shane, played by Katherine Moenig.

She then became part of Young and the Restless in 2009.

Clementine Ford, the LGBT advocate

She was married to the Canadian actor Chad Todhunter from 2000 to 2004. In 2009, she was in a three-year relationship with the musician and record producer Linda Perry.

But despite her undefined sexuality, Ford has very outspoken views about LGBT. For example, she made a public service announcement for Point Foundation, which gives scholarship to LGBT kids.

“I never want to put a label on myself– but knowing that not everyone comes from such a liberal place, when something like Prop 8 comes out, you realize it’s important to stand up and be counted. A little gay kid in a small town is more important than whether I want a label,” she said.

Talking about The L Word, she told The Advocate: “In terms of it being ‘groundbreaking,’ I think in a way it’s a shame. I don’t think it should be ‘groundbreaking’; it should not be made into a ‘thing.’

“There should be gay couples on television and lesbian and transgender people on television. It should be something that is normal,” she said.

Currently, Ford is married to actor Cyrus Wilcox and has a son with him.