Meredith Baxter, the actress who played Elyse Keaton on the ’80s TV series “Family Ties,” has revealed that she is a lesbian.

The 62-year-old actress says that she had a “later-in-life recognition” and has been in a relationship with her girlfriend, a general contractor, for four years.

Baxter has been married three times and is the mother of five children.

She said in an interview on NBC’s “Today” show Wednesday that she is “extraordinarily happy” and that the support from her family and friends was immediate and unqualified.