Niecy Nash truly does it all. She’s an actress, author, producer, director, TV game show host—the list goes on. And she does it all with style, grace, and a unique sense of humor that makes her unbelievably fabulous, yet so approachable at the same time.
Now Nash is dipping her toe into a new space—advocating for women’s health, specifically menopause education, in partnership with newly launched menopause platform Versalie. The 54-year-old renaissance woman says the collaboration is a natural tie into her current phase of life, navigating the “big M” all while juggling a thriving career.
“The thing that has surprised me the most is how uninformed I was,” she says. “Growing up, I had only ever heard from my mom and aunties that menopause was all about hot flashes.” And to her surprise, it’s been so much more.
Spreading knowledge, shedding stigma
Nash says the mental health effects of menopause truly caught her off-guard. “I didn’t know about the mood swings being a part of it,” she says. “You know when you have your period every month, you can feel a certain way.” But when you don’t have a predictable monthly cycle to tie those feelings to, she says, “you think you’re just upset and frustrated for no reason. You don’t know that it can be tied to the hormonal imbalances in your body.”
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It’s something Nash wishes she knew before her menopause journey started, and it’s this kind of knowledge she hopes Versalie can provide for other people going through it.
Versalie was created as a one-stop shop for menopause. Backed by a panel of 12 credentialed experts, the site aims to bust menopause myths and present the real facts about this stage of life. The experts include OB-GYNs, psychologists, sex therapists, endocrinologists, and menopause clinicians, all offering unique perspectives on how to handle the changes menopause brings to daily life.
You’ll also find carefully curated products meant to improve your menopause experience, including a storefront of holistic supplements aimed at bringing menopause symptom relief. And there’s the Versalie Care feature, which offers one-on-one telehealth appointments with menopause-trained clinicians who can provide personalized care plans, suggest prescriptions, and offer support and information about menopause management in general. It’s both an educational and empowering experience for women entering a new chapter in their bodies. “When you know what’s happening with your body, you know how to better advocate for yourself,” Nash says.
“Sometimes it isn’t so much about informing. It’s about sisterhood and being in a shared space and having community around something that we all go through.” —Niecy Nash, actress and producer
The sisterhood of menopause
The stigma around menopause means that many people suffer through it silently. Nash says she’s breaking those standards by talking about it openly with friends, family, and especially her daughters. And there’s no place off-limits to have these conversations.
“I was just on a red carpet with two other celebrities and we all started having hot flashes at the same time,” she recalls. Rather than struggling through it alone, the three women struck up a conversation about it, right there on the carpet.
This sense of community is important, Nash says, and it’s also her favorite part about Versalie, which offers resources to learn about menopause but also validation for people that they’re not alone in their experience.
“Sometimes it isn’t so much about informing. It’s about sisterhood and being in a shared space…having community around something that we all go through,” Nash says.
Niecy Nash isn’t afraid to talk about the highs and lows of menopause. She’ll shout it from the rooftops (or the red carpet), that menopause is nothing to be ashamed about or keep secret.
“I am my sister’s keeper,” she says. “I’m not selfish with information. I don’t want to hoard it. I want to get it to the masses so we can all be well.”