Actress Niecy Nash-Betts on Breaking the Stigma Around Menopause: ‘I Did Not Know Enough’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Get ready, because actress Niecy Nash-Betts, an Emmy winner, is opening up about her menopause journey. Nash-Betts is best known for her work in the series Scream Queens, Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, Reno 911! and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and in this revealing interview with Woman’s World, the actress discusses how she uses Versalie— a digital platform offering virtual care from menopause-trained clinicians, expert-reviewed content, and a curated product storefront for holistic menopause symptom relief all in one place–what she really thinks of menopause representation in the media and even the must-know details about her new show Grotesquerie. Read on for more insights from Niecy Nash-Betts about menopause, her new TV show and how she's raising awareness for women everywhere.

Woman’s World: What made you want to team up with Versalie and what is it about this platform that can help women nationwide? 

Niecy Nash-Betts: I wanted to team up with Versalie because when I was beginning my menopause journey, I just did not have enough information. I thought that it was only limited to hot flashes and didn't realize there were so many other things that go along with it.

When I realized that there was a platform that felt to me like one-stop shopping, I wanted other women to know that it existed. I wanted them to know that they could have a virtual appointment with a menopause-trained clinician. I wanted them to know that Versalie has a curated storefront of all of the best products. They've done all the research for you that wanted women to know that an online community existed whereby you could feel supported and fully seen. 

WW: What has your experience with menopause been like and what have you learned about yourself through the process? 

NN: My experience has been that I did not know enough. I did not know that the other symptoms that I was experiencing were related to menopause. I just thought, “Oh, there's extreme fatigue. I don't know a woman who's not fatigued.” That was just one example of things that I ended up learning about myself and what I was going through that I know is menopause. 

WW: How important is it for women to have people they feel comfortable talking to about menopause, and where do you recommend they go to find those people?

NN: It's such a natural thing that I wish that there wasn't a stigma around it. I would love for people to not have shame around it or fear around it. 

When you go to Versalie, it's like going to a resource center for everything. You can speak to someone, chat or find products. All of your needs are met in one place. It's a huge gift if you ask me.

WW: October kicks off Menopause Awareness Month. What does that month represent to you and what do you want people to know? 

NN: It represents owning what is happening to your body, showing up for yourself and not suffering in silence. I want this resource [Versalie] to be available to women, and after they find it, they're going to love it. After they love it, I hope that they will tell a friend who would tell a friend. 

It’s really just trying to take agency over what is happening in our bodies, especially if we are all going through the same or similar things. 

WW: Let’s talk about menopause representation in the media. How do you feel like it’s been represented and is there one thing you wish they would do?

NN: I just don't think there are enough people who know about it. We hear things from our aunts and our grandmothers, maybe our mothers, but I don't know if it's the full scope. That's why it's important to have a resource. That's why it's important to have a place. 

You don't have to go to this place and then that place, call that number and then make an appointment over there. With Versalie, you can do everything in one place. 

The fact that you can speak to someone who is trained in menopause is unique. It's not a general practitioner. This is someone who has studied menopause and is an expert in the field. I think that's the best thing about it.

WW: Now, onto your career. What can you tell us about Grotesquerie? 

NN: I can tell you that the cast is very supportive of one another, and to be honest with you, to be making a series about so much horror, we laughed a lot on set. So it's a really good group: Courtney Vance, Leslie Manville, Michaela Diamond and America's beloved Travis Kelce.

WW: And finally, how was filming Origin? 

NN:  Origin is a movie that I think everyone should see. It changes the conversation about things that you just thought were a part of race, a part of the status quo in society, and it could be because you really start to unpack the caste system. And I just think it's necessary for everyone to watch it.

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