Julie Cypher

Born/Date of Birth: August 24, 1964
Place of Birth: Wichita, Kansas, United States
Occupation: Film director
Education: The University of Texas at Austin, J. J. Pearce High School
Spouse(s): Lou Diamond Phillips (1986–1990),
Matthew Hale (2004–present)
Partner(s): Melissa Etheridge (1990–2000)
Children: Bailey Jean Cypher, Beckett Cypher (1998-2020)

Julie Cypher (born August 24, 1964) is an American filmmaker best known for being the former partner of musician Melissa Etheridge.

Biography
Cypher was born in Wichita, Kansas to Dick and Betty (née Jackson) Cypher, and has an older sister named Melanie. She attended the University of Texas at Austin studying television and film.

She married actor Lou Diamond Phillips in 1986. Two years later, she met Etheridge while assisting on the music video for the single "Bring Me Some Water", and split with Phillips in 1990 to start a relationship with Etheridge. Cypher directed the 1995 film Teresa's Tattoo, starring Phillips, C. Thomas Howell, and Kiefer Sutherland.

Personal life
After originally spending five years in a marriage with Lou Diamond Phillips, Cypher was a gay rights advocate, and became famous for being one half of one of the first publicly lesbian celebrity couples. In 1995 she and Etheridge appeared in a "We'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" poster campaign for PETA.

During her partnership with Melissa Etheridge, Cypher gave birth to two children via artificial insemination: a daughter, Bailey Jean, born in February 1997, and a son, Beckett, born November 1998. Although initially reluctant to discuss it, the couple eventually revealed that the biological father of both children was musician David Crosby; however, Cypher later told Etheridge in a 1999 therapy session that she was "not gay", and the couple split in September 2000. Cypher went on to marry Matthew Hale in 2004.

On May 13, 2020, Melissa Etheridge announced via Twitter that their son, Beckett, passed away at age 21.