NAOMI WATTS
THE AUSTRALIAN STAR WANTS TO SHINE A LIGHT ON A VERY PERSONAL NEW JOURNEY
Between raising two children, her relationship with actor Billy Crudup and globetrotting for movie roles, it’s hard to believe Naomi Watts has the time to take on a new crusade – a fairly taboo one at that. The 53-year-old Australian actress got candid this month about a topic not many dare to discuss: menopause. She admitted to fans how the word used to “freak her out”, but now the Mulholland Drive star is tackling it head-on after realising it’s just part of life. “When I was in my late 30s,
I was finally ready to start thinking about creating a family. Then the M-word swiftly blew my doors down. It felt like a head-on collision with a Mack truck,” she shared on Instagram, admitting that in her case it sprung up a tad prematurely. “How could I figure this out when no-one was talking? I was earlier to it than my peers. My mentors and mum didn’t seem up for discussing it,
I didn’t know how to ask for help and they didn’t know how to provide … even doctors had little to say. It’s oddly like an unwritten code of silence: women should suck it up and cope, because that’s how generations past have done it.”
But Watts is having none of that. Going forward, she wants the dreaded “M-word” destigmatised and women going through the inevitable to be better represented. “When you spotlight uncomfortable conversations, they get easier. Progress is made. Why has this particular one taken so long?” Watts wondered. “Let’s conquer the stigma and address the secrecy and shame we’ve felt, and help create a healthier foundation for future generations.”
It didn’t take long for Watts’ famous friends to rally their support. Fellow Aussie actress Isla Fisher commented alongside the post, “You get more beautiful every year.” Actress Selma Blair shared her own story in the comments section, detailing how cancer treatment accelerated her menopause. “Naomi! Really it was such a mystery. I knew nothing. My family went through later in life. Chemo put me in forced menopause and it was a big hit to my body. Rapid aging it felt like. I thought the heat simmering off of me was MS related. I love you are addressing this. I feel lucky to be aging. And I would love to feel supported and give it back to all of us fouled by this secret stage.”
Watts wrapped up her impassioned post beautifully. “Getting older is a privilege and a time for us to feel proud of our cumulative experiences, to feel empowered, unapologetically so.”
“Getting older is a privilege” WATTS