Garcelle Beauvais on menopause, healing, heartbreak and more

Beauvais destigmatizes menopause and encourages women to seek support and treatment.
Overcoming public heartbreak, Beauvais prioritizes self-care and remains open to love.
As an empty nester, Beauvais navigates a new chapter with optimism and emotional resilience.

2026 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards - Arrivals — Source: Monica Schipper/Getty

Garcelle Beauvais has spent decades in the limelight, but these days the absolutely stunning actress, producer and former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills the star seems more focused on something deeper than fame: embracing each chapter of life as it comes.

That includes menopause.

Garcelle opened up to radio/TV personality Jazzmyn Summers for Radio One together with a nurse Barbara Dehnaffectionately known as “Nurse Barb”, about hot flashes, aging without shame and why women need to start talking more openly about what’s happening to their bodies.

But the conversation quickly moved beyond menopause and into the life lessons that have shaped her: surviving public heartbreak, navigating a terrifying incident, watching her twin sons leave the nest, and finding the courage to stay open to love.

About menopause and breaking the silence

For Beauvais, menopause came as it does for so many women: unexpectedly.

“I was at a fitting one day and all of a sudden I started having these hot flashes,” she recalled. “At first I wasn’t sure if it was a hot flush. I’m like, wait, am I having a private summer? What’s going on? I’m not ready for this. I still feel sexy.”

That moment marked the beginning of what she calls “the new normal for women of a certain age.”

Instead of suffering quietly, Beauvais decided to speak openly about his experience.

“I really want to debunk the shame that women have with this,” she said. “We share about everything. We share about when we go out for cocktails, when we go out and talk about relationships. Why don’t we share about things that are actually happening to our bodies?”

According to nurse Barb, many women are caught off guard when menopause symptoms begin.

“So many of my patients say exactly what Garcelle just said,” she explained. “They look in the mirror. They are way too young for menopause. They feel good, they look good. And then suddenly it happens.”

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She explained that hormonal changes can affect the body’s internal thermostat and trigger sudden hot flashes that often strike at the most inconvenient times.

For Beauvais, whose career often places her under bright lights and in front of cameras, these moments can be particularly uncomfortable.

“All eyes are on you and you feel like you’re a ball of sweat,” she said.

The experience prompted her to seek guidance from her doctor.

“That’s when I knew it was important to talk to my doctor and just say, ‘What can I do other than wear a ventilator?’

She learned practical strategies such as dressing in layers, carrying a fan, and finding ways to cool down quickly. But perhaps the most important lesson was realizing that she didn’t just have to endure the symptoms.

Nurse Barb emphasized that women should track their symptoms and have open conversations with their health care providers about available treatment options.

One possibility discussed during our conversation was Lightning cowan FDA-approved, hormone-free prescription treatment for moderate to severe hot flashes due to menopause.

“What I love is that Garcelle helps us talk about it,” said nurse Barb. “It’s really important to know you’re not alone.”

She noted that clinical studies showed that some women experienced fewer hot flashes within the first week, with greater reductions in both frequency and severity over time. She encouraged women to discuss all treatment options with their health care providers and review safety information before making decisions.

For Beauvais, however, the conversation goes beyond medicine.

“I feel like I grew up in a household where we didn’t talk about things like this, especially a black household,” she said. “That’s really why it’s important for us to take away the shame and actually talk about it.”

In her view, menopause should be treated the same way women discuss relationships, parenthood or career challenges: honestly and without embarrassment.

After all, she reminds us that any woman lucky enough to grow older may eventually face it.

‘I had to choose me’

One of the reasons so many women connect with Beauvais is her willingness to share the difficult chapters of her life.

Her much-publicized divorce after discovering her husband had been carrying on a year-long affair remains one of those moments.

“The betrayal is heartbreaking, devastating,” she said. “You don’t see it coming. It’s not something you sign up for.”

At the time, her twin sons were only three years old.

“I had two little boys who were three years old, and it’s like, well, what am I going to do?”

The answer became a decisive principle in her life.

“What I chose to do is what I’ve done in my life all along, which is to choose me,” she said.

“I had to pick myself and say, ‘You know what? In order for me to be the best woman I can be, and also the best mother, I have to put myself first and not stay somewhere that doesn’t serve me.'”

That decision wasn’t easy, but Beauvais believes it allowed her to become a stronger mother and a healthier version of herself.

How she learned to trust again

After experiencing such a deep betrayal, many people wanted to build walls.

Beauvais chose a different path.

“I’m so open,” she said. “Even though I’ve been through ups and downs, I manage to keep an open mind and give everyone the benefit of the doubt until you prove otherwise.”

She credits forgiveness with helping her move on.

“You forgive, you don’t forget,” she said. “But that doesn’t mean I want to carry it with me for the rest of my life, because then the burden would be on me.”

As for marriage?

Beauvais does not rush back down the hall.

“I would love a healthy, happy relationship, but not marriage. I don’t have to do that again,” she said. “I don’t even know if I want to live with anyone again.”

What is she looking for?

“Someone who is kind and loving and honest and has their own thing going on and we can just go on this journey together.”

Surviving a terrifying swatting incident

Earlier this year, Beauvais found herself at the center of a terrifying incident when armed police descended on her home in Los Angeles after receiving a false emergency report. Authorities later determined there was no threat. Beauvais has since described the experience as one of the scariest moments of her life.

“I didn’t even know what swatting was,” she told me.

What followed felt like something out of a movie.

“It was the scariest thing I had ever been through,” she said.

According to Beauvais, officers arrived late at night after a false report claimed there was violence at her home.

“They came as if they were going to take down a drug lord,” she said.

The actress said she was handcuffed during the ordeal and remains grateful her sons weren’t home at the time.

“I was just glad my kids weren’t home because then it would have added another layer.”

Investigators have continued to look into the incident, which Beauvais noted is part of a dangerous trend that has been targeting public figures and online personalities.