Viola Davis explained menopause to Jimmy Kimmel — and men, please start taking notes
The female anatomy has confused many men, and veteran host Jimmy Kimmel is no different. Kimmel once confessed to actress Viola Davis that his knowledge on the subject was rather limited. Davis had appeared on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' to promote her show 'How to Get Away with Murder.' As the two engaged in friendly banter, the actress openly spoke about menopause—something Kimmel knew absolutely nothing about.
When Kimmel asked her to explain the same, Davis said, "Menopause is hell. Menopause is a dark hole, okay? That's what menopause is. And that's where I'm at right now. So I either will love my husband today or kill him today." As reported by the Daily Mail, confused, Kimmel followed up, "How long does it last?" Davis responded, "You know what, someone needs to tell me because it's last now for about six, seven years." She shared that she has become more forgetful after her menopause, recalling an incident when she mistakenly put a bowl in the fridge instead of the sink.
She said, "The other day, my husband said, 'V can you take this bowl and put this in the sink?' I said, 'Oh sweetheart, yeah, let me see the bowl. Let me put it in the sink.' And then five minutes later he looked at me and said, 'V, are you okay?' I said, 'Yeah, I'm fine.' 'Are you sure you're okay, because I found that bowl in the refrigerator? Please tell me you're not going crazy!'" Davis added, “When you talk about anything, especially dealing with menopause or breasts, men just die a slow death.” Menopause is a normal stage of aging, typically happening between the ages of 45 and 55 when a woman's estrogen levels begin to drop.
Davis isn’t the only one opening up about menopause. Actress Halle Berry once also shared her thoughts on the topic during her appearance on 'Good Morning America.' She said, “The lack of sleep is really—what [menopause] does to the brain. I have flooded my laundry room three times because I go in there and then I forget why I went in there." She laughed as she, too, shared moments of forgetfulness, like heating the dog food only to be distracted, and finding herself in three feet of water in her laundry room. She claimed, "The brain fog is real.” Berry claimed that she has also dealt with symptoms like hot flashes and anxiety.
During her appearance on Oprah Winfrey's show, Drew Barrymore also opened up about menopause. She revealed that she initially thought that the symptoms would only last three to four years, but she later learned that they could persist for up to ten years. Women don't have to go through this alone, Barrymore stressed; they may talk to others about it and ask their friends for support. Similarly, Michelle Obama also discussed her menopause experience on her podcast, describing the intensity of her hot flashes, as reported by New Beauty.