Let’s just admit it: many of us under-40-year-olds are pretty freakin’ ignorant when it comes to menopause. Society often just glosses over it.
But lucky for us, tons of celebs have opened up about their menopause journeys — the good, the bad, and the ugly — and TBH, it’s FASCINATING. So we’re gonna spotlight some of those people.
1.
Halle Berry initially thought you could “skip” menopause if you were healthy enough. She consulted a doctor after experiencing pain after sex, explaining that it felt like “razor blades in [her] vagina,” who mistakenly told her she had herpes. Instead, it was just a normal part of menopause.
3.
Tracee Ellis Ross explained in an interview how it felt like menopause was “frying [her] brain.” But then, she proceeded to clarify that while it is “really bizarre,” it’s also “the most glorious invitation into a new season and chapter” in her life. We love to see it!
4.
Gwyneth Paltrow detailed all of the big changes that happened to her during menopause — some of which, people have no idea exist. “I can feel the hormonal shifts happening, the sweating, the moods — you’re all of a sudden furious for no reason,” she said. But she believes menopause needs a “rebranding,” since it gets a “bad rap.”
5.
In 2014, Kim Cattrall discussed fears of still being “desirable” and “feminine” while going through menopause, and explained just now natural the process is. “Physically, it’s part of how we’re made; hormonally, it’s how we’re constructed; chemically, it’s how we work,” she said.
6.
Oprah Winfrey shared that “restlessness and heart palpitations” were her first symptoms. She frames menopause in a super inspiring way: instead of seeing it as a burden, she and many other women see it as a “blessing,” and a way to “reinvent yourself after years of focusing on the needs of everyone else.”
7.
In 2023, Shania Twain (all hail the queen) opened up about how she saw menopause as a “very good thing,” since it taught her to “come to terms with” rapid physical changes. Through menopause, she learned to “get over [her] insecurities.”
8.
I have to mention Bette Midler, who openly discussed menopause in a 2001 interview with Oprah (yes, 2001!!!). She feels that it’s not valuable to “obsess” over menopause — although, at the same time, “in this culture, they throw you out when you get older.”
9.
Katie Couric has discussed the mindset shifts that happen during menopause. “When you’re younger, you dread your period, and when you’re older, you want to give it a big hug,” she explained. She got very real about how menopause “reminds you of your own mortality,” and reflected on her experience using an estrogen patch (which she thinks was helpful).
10.
Julie Walters described what a hot flash really feels like. To her, it was like “a chimney and came from the base of [her] spine.” During filming for Harry Potter, she wore a wig and warm costume, and to cool her down, they “had to put this big tube of air conditioning in [her] face.”
11.
Beverly Johnson explained that, after getting a hysterectomy — a surgery to remove the uterus — menopause started pretty rapidly. “I was not prepared,” she said. She noted how weight gain was one major side effect that impacted her life as a model. I’m also kinda laughing at her describing menopause as being “moist in all the wrong places.”
12.
In her book, Brooke Shields talked about going on meds after experiencing over a year of night sweats and plenty of other menopause symptoms. She said she found hormone replacement therapy to be “incredibly helpful,” since they’ve helped her become more “even-keeled.”
13.
Speaking of hormone replacement therapy, Naomi Watts — who started menopause at 36 years old — has discussed her experience with hormone meds, along with the stigma surrounding menopause. “Does the word menopause freak you out? It did me… But, why?” she asked her audience in a 2022 Instagram post.
14.
Salma Hayek clarified a rumour that started about her, which had to do with her body changing in perimenopause — people thought she got “breast augmentation,” but really, her breasts just grew because of menopause. She also discussed how “terrifying” it felt when she first read alllllll the menopause symptoms.
15.
Emma Thompson did the most iconic thing ever back in 2014 — she discussed menopause while accepting a National Board of Review Award for Best Actress in (she won for Saving Mr. Banks, in case you’re curious). “It’s such a cold night. You know, it’s the first time I’ve been actively grateful for the menopause.”
16.
Cynthia Nixon is among those who is celebrating her menopause journey. Not just that, but she went through menopause at the same time as her wife, Christine Marinoni, which is the most adorable thing ever. “The freedom that comes from no longer being fertile is huge,” she said.
17.
Finally, Gillian Anderson got super candid about what going through menopause feels like “I felt like somebody else had taken over my brain,” she said. And TBH, that really does it into perspective. She expressed a wish for more women to talk about menopause “openly and without shame.”
Now it’s your turn! Women who have gone through menopause (or are currently going through it): what has your experience been like? Tell me your story in the comments below! Educate us!
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