In the heart of Los Angeles, where the glitz of Hollywood often overshadows the struggles of the less fortunate, a chance encounter between Jodie Foster and a beggar with two children has left onlookers—and the world—stunned. The 62-year-old Oscar-winning actress, celebrated for her roles in The Silence of the Lambs and her recent French-language film Vie Privée, was on her way to a meeting in the city’s Fairfax district on the morning of May 25, 2025, when she spotted a familiar face among the crowd. What followed was an act of kindness so profound that it has sparked a global conversation about compassion, second chances, and the enduring bonds of the past.

The beggar was Elena Martinez, a 45-year-old woman who had fallen on hard times after a promising start in the entertainment industry. Martinez, once a budding actress, had a small role alongside Foster in the 1994 drama Nell, where she played a minor character in the rural community Foster’s character encounters. At the time, Martinez was a fresh-faced 14-year-old, full of dreams, and Foster, then 32, had taken the young actress under her wing, offering advice and encouragement during the film’s production. But Martinez’s career never took off. A series of personal struggles— including a battle with addiction, the loss of her parents, and the challenges of raising two children as a single mother—led her to the streets, where she now begged to provide for her daughters, Sofia, 8, and Isabella, 6.

Foster, who has been open about her own challenges growing up in the spotlight, recognized Martinez immediately. Dressed in a simple black coat and sunglasses, the actress was walking to a nearby café when she noticed the woman sitting on the sidewalk, a cardboard sign reading “Please Help Us” propped beside her. Martinez’s gaunt face and tattered clothes were a stark contrast to the vibrant teenager Foster remembered, but her eyes—still bright despite years of hardship—gave her away. “I knew it was her the moment I saw her,” Foster later told The Los Angeles Times. “There was this spark in her eyes, the same one I saw all those years ago on the set of Nell. I couldn’t just walk by.”

What Foster did next shocked everyone who witnessed it. Instead of offering a quick donation or a few kind words, she sat down beside Martinez on the sidewalk, ignoring the curious stares of passersby. The two women spoke for nearly an hour, with Martinez tearfully recounting her journey from a hopeful actress to a homeless mother struggling to feed her children. Sofia and Isabella, huddled close to their mother, watched wide-eyed as Foster listened intently, her expression a mix of compassion and determination. “She didn’t look at me like I was a beggar,” Martinez later shared in an interview with People. “She looked at me like I was still that girl she believed in all those years ago.”

Foster’s connection to Martinez wasn’t just professional—it was personal. As a mother to two sons, Charlie, 26, and Kit, 21, whom she shares with her former partner Cydney Bernard, Foster understood the fierce love of a parent. She has often spoken about the joy of raising her children, emphasizing the importance of meaningful work and genuine connection in her 2025 Golden Globes acceptance speech for True Detective: Night Country, where she thanked her family, saying, “Charlie, my actor son, and Kit, my scientist son, hopefully you understand the joy that comes from doing really hard, meaningful, good work.” Seeing Martinez’s daughters reminded Foster of her own role as a protector, a sentiment that drove her to take action.

Rather than offer a temporary fix, Foster decided to change Martinez’s life in a way that would have a lasting impact. She immediately called her assistant to arrange temporary housing for Martinez and her children, securing a small apartment in a safe neighborhood through a local charity she has long supported. But Foster didn’t stop there. Drawing on her extensive network in Hollywood, she reached out to a friend who runs a rehabilitation program for women struggling with addiction, enrolling Martinez in a 90-day program that would provide counseling, job training, and support for her recovery. “I’ve seen what addiction can do,” Foster told The Guardian, referencing her own mother’s struggles with dementia and the broader challenges of mental health she’s witnessed in the industry. “I couldn’t just give her money and walk away. She needed a real chance to rebuild her life.”

Perhaps the most shocking—and heartwarming—part of Foster’s gesture came when she addressed Martinez’s daughters. Understanding the importance of education, Foster set up a trust fund to cover Sofia and Isabella’s schooling through high school, ensuring they would have access to opportunities their mother never had. She also arranged for them to attend a local arts program, where they could explore their creativity through theater and music—passions Martinez had once hoped to share with her children. “I wanted them to have a piece of what Elena and I shared on that set all those years ago,” Foster explained. “The arts can heal, and I believe these girls deserve that chance.”

The reaction to Foster’s actions was immediate and overwhelming. Bystanders who witnessed the encounter shared photos and videos on social media, with clips of Foster sitting on the sidewalk beside Martinez going viral within hours. On X, users praised her selflessness, with one writing, “Jodie Foster didn’t just help a beggar—she gave a family a future. This is what true stardom looks like.” Another commented, “Seeing Jodie Foster sit on the ground with that woman and her kids brought me to tears. She’s a real human being, not just a celebrity.” The hashtag #JodieFosterInspires trended globally, with fans and activists alike calling for more public figures to follow her example in addressing homelessness and addiction.

For Martinez, the experience has been nothing short of transformative. “I felt invisible for so long,” she told People, her voice breaking with emotion. “Jodie saw me, really saw me, and she gave me hope when I had none left. I’ll never be able to thank her enough.” Martinez has since moved into the apartment Foster arranged, and she began her rehabilitation program last week, with Sofia and Isabella settling into their new school and arts program. The trust fund has given Martinez peace of mind, knowing her daughters will have a brighter future, regardless of her own struggles.

Foster’s actions align with her broader outlook on life and work. Known for her privacy and her selective approach to acting—she told Variety earlier this month that she has little interest in “acting for the sake of acting”—Foster has always prioritized substance over fame. Her recent projects, like Vie Privée, which earned critical acclaim at Cannes, and True Detective: Night Country, for which she won a Golden Globe in January 2025, reflect her commitment to meaningful storytelling. As a mother and wife to artist Alexandra Hedison, whom she married in 2014, Foster has also emphasized the importance of family and connection, values that clearly guided her response to Martinez.

The encounter has sparked broader conversations about the challenges faced by those on the margins of society, particularly in a city like Los Angeles, where the homeless population has grown in recent years. Advocates have pointed to Foster’s actions as a model for how individuals can make a difference, not just through charity but through sustained, thoughtful support. Some have even called for Foster to use her platform to advocate for systemic change, a role she has not yet publicly embraced but which aligns with her history of supporting meaningful causes, such as her work as an executive producer on Hedison’s documentary ALOK, which premiered at Sundance in 2024 and focused on the non-binary author Alok Vaid-Menon.

Jodie Foster’s encounter with Elena Martinez and her children is more than a Hollywood feel-good story—it’s a powerful reminder of the impact one person can have when they choose to see the humanity in another. By recognizing Martinez not as a beggar, but as a woman with a past, a story, and a future, Foster has given her a second chance at life, leaving everyone who witnessed the moment—and the millions who have since heard about it—shocked, inspired, and deeply moved. As Foster continues to shine in her career and her personal life, her actions on that Los Angeles sidewalk will remain a defining moment, a testament to the transformative power of kindness.