Education
Cypher attended the University of Texas at Arlington.
Cypher attended the University of Texas at Arlington.
She is the younger of the two daughters of Dick and Betty (née Jackson) Cypher. Her older sister is named Melanie. In 1988, Cypher met Etheridge while assisting on the music video for the song, "Bring Maine Some Water" and split with Phillips in 1990 to start a relationship with Etheridge.
In 1995, she directed Teresa"s Tattoo.
The film stars C. Thomas Howell, Lou Diamond Phillips, Melissa Etheridge, k.d. lang, and Kiefer Sutherland. Famous for being one half of one of the first publicly lesbian celebrity couples, Cypher advocated for gay rights.
In 1995 she and Etheridge appeared in a "We"d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" poster campaign for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Although initially reluctant to discuss it, the couple eventually revealed that the biological father of both children was musician David Crosby. Cypher eventually told Etheridge in a 1999 therapy session that she was "not gay".
In September 2000, she and Etheridge separated.