I don't believe it took her awhile, I remember two or three years ago that she thanked her loving partner of so and so years Cydney and her children. Not many people took real notice, but she didn't hide it then, during that award acceptance either. She's one of the most dignified people in Hollywood, I sort of wished people would stay out of their lives... people seemingly get angry when someone doesn't "come out of their glass closet," and when they do they fault them for waiting so long as if they are "ashamed" of it. It happened to Anderson Cooper, Ricky Martin, and now her. We'd all frown upon people digging into the lives of these 'normal' people, when all everyone ever wanted was privacy.