Some good news for fans of ABC Family’s The Fosters this week: Real-life lesbian foster mom and entertainer Rosie O’Donnell will be appearing in an upcoming story arc. Filming has already begun for the new season, which starts in January. See more after the jump, including star Sherri Saum’s tantalizing tweet.
O’Donnell will play Rita Hendricks, “a tough yet compassionate woman who works for the foster care system and becomes a mentor to a member of the Foster family,” according to the Hollywood Reporter. O’Donnell, a foster and adoptive mom, has long been an advocate for adoptive families, both LGBT and not. She told radio host Michelangelo Signorile that her 10-year-old daughter is a big fan of The Fosters. (Listen to that segment and more via HuffPo.)
And while The Fosters’ star Sherri Saum isn’t a lesbian in real life, she plays one to great effect on the show. Saum had this to say about the new season:
I’m gonna tell you what happens in the first episode back I hope I have enough characters in this tweet to t pic.twitter.com/J8QBEMvEfo
— Sherri Saum (@SherriSaum1) September 19, 2013
Sigh. While I’m thoroughly enjoying the lovely fall weather right now, part of me feels that January can’t come soon enough.