Actor George Takei has come to the defense of Jodie Foster, who is being criticized for a vague coming out speech.

In accepting her Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award at the Golden Globes on Sunday night, Foster, 50, delivered a rambling speech in which she repeatedly used the phrase “coming out” and described her former partner as her “ex-partner in love” but didn't actually say she is gay.

In an interview with cabler HLN's Showbiz Tonight, Takei, who is openly gay, described Foster's speech as “eloquently awkward” and “deeply moving.”

“I applaud her,” the former Star Trek star said. “She should not be criticized or picked at or sniped at. She did a very brave thing. And I embrace her with open arms. And that's what the public should do, and to respect her appeal for privacy.” (The video is embedded on this page. Visit our video library for more videos.)

In a blog post, Takei added that we shouldn't judge Foster because we haven't “walked in her shoes.”