Let’s Talk Hot Flashes: Garcelle Beauvais on Menopause, Healing (or Heartbreak) and New Beginnings

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

That includes menopause.

Garcelle opened up to Radio/TV personality Jazmyn Summers for Radio One alongside nurse practitioner Barbara Dehn, affectionately known as “Nurse Barb,” about hot flashes, aging without shame and why women need to start talking more openly about what happens 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 swatting incident, watching her twin sons leave the nest and finding the courage to stay open to love.

On Menopause and Breaking the Silence

For Beauvais, menopause arrived the way it does for so many women: unexpectedly.

“I was at a fitting one day and all of a sudden I started getting this hot flash,” she recalled. “First I wasn’t sure if it was a hot flash. 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.”

Rather than suffer through it quietly, Beauvais decided to speak openly about her 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 are looking in the mirror. They are way too young for menopause. They feel good, they look good. And then all of a sudden this is happening.”

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She explained that hormonal changes can affect the body’s internal thermostat, triggering sudden hot flashes that often strike at the most inconvenient moments.

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

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

The experience prompted her to seek guidance from her healthcare provider.

“That’s when I knew it was important to talk to my medical provider and just say, ‘What can I do other than carrying a fan?’”

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 she didn’t have to simply endure the symptoms.

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

One option discussed during our conversation was Linquet, an FDA-approved, hormone-free prescription treatment for moderate to severe hot flashes due to menopause.

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

She noted that clinical studies showed 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 healthcare providers and review safety information before making decisions.

For Beauvais, however, the conversation extends beyond medication.

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

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

After all, she reminds us, every woman who is fortunate 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 highly publicized divorce after discovering her husband had carried on a years-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 just three years old.

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

The answer became a defining principle in her life.

“What I chose to do is what I’ve been doing in my life throughout, which is choosing me,” she said.

“I had to choose me and say, ‘You know what? In order for me to be the best woman I can be and also the best mom, I have to put myself first and not stay someplace that’s not serving 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 would 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 stay open and give everybody the benefit of the doubt until you prove me otherwise.”

She credits forgiveness with helping her move forward.

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

As for marriage?

Beauvais isn’t rushing back down the aisle.

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

What is she looking for?

“Somebody who’s 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 frightening swatting incident when armed police descended on her Los Angeles home after receiving a false emergency report. Authorities later determined there was no threat. Beauvais has since described the experience as one of the most terrifying 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 gone through,” she said.

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

“They came like they were taking down a drug lord,” she said.

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

“I was just happy that my kids weren’t home because then that would’ve added another layer.”

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

Creating Room for Surprises

One of my favorite moments came when I asked Beauvais about a message she had recently posted on social media.

Every month, she writes a new reminder on her desk calendar.

This month’s message?

“Create room for surprises.”

“So many times we want to control everything,” she said. “We want everything to be exactly buttoned up.”

Instead, she’s learning to leave space for the unexpected.

“Leave room for what the universe has aligned for you that you may not think is for you.”

It’s a philosophy that seems to guide much of her life these days.

Becoming an Empty Nester

Even with a thriving career that includes Lifetime films, producing projects and Netflix’s Survival of the Thickest, Beauvais admits she’s facing a transition that feels surprisingly emotional.

Her twin sons are launching into adulthood.

“One of my boys graduates tomorrow,” she said during our conversation.

And while she’s excited for them, she’s also preparing herself for a quieter home.

“I don’t know what the empty nesting is going to look like.”

“Every now and then I burst into tears because I can already feel the energy in the house shifting.”

Then she quickly added:

“I’m excited for them, but a little sad for me, honestly.”

Aging With Grace, Resilience and Purpose

Throughout her career, Garcelle Beauvais has been willing to share both the triumphs and the challenges that have shaped her journey.

In this conversation alone, she spoke candidly about menopause, public heartbreak, motherhood, dating, philanthropy, a frightening swatting incident and the emotions that come with preparing to become an empty nester.

Yet one theme connected every topic: resilience.

“We are strong and we are resilient and we go through things,” Beauvais said. “I think building a community and a village is really important.”

That philosophy is reflected not only in her advocacy around menopause awareness, but also in her support of charitable causes, from helping her home country of Haiti to her work highlighting missing Black and Brown women through Lifetime’s Black Girl Missing franchise.

For Beauvais, aging is not something to fear.

“It’s also a privilege,” she said. “It’s also a privilege to grow older. What’s the alternative?”

Those words capture the spirit that has helped make her one of Hollywood’s most admired and relatable figures. Whether she’s encouraging women to seek help for menopause symptoms, navigating life’s unexpected challenges or embracing new opportunities, Beauvais approaches each chapter with honesty, grace and optimism.

As she continues creating new projects, supporting causes she believes in and preparing for life as an empty nester, one thing remains clear: Garcelle Beauvais is still evolving, still growing and still creating room for surprises.

At 59, Garcelle Beauvais is embracing a season of transition.

She’s helping women navigate conversations about menopause. She’s watching her sons step into adulthood. She’s producing new projects, expanding her philanthropic work and continuing a career that has spanned decades.

Along the way, she has experienced heartbreak, setbacks and moments that could have easily hardened her outlook. Instead, she has chosen openness, gratitude and growth.

“Leave room for what the universe has aligned for you that you may not think is for you,” she said.

It’s a philosophy that seems to guide her through every new chapter.

Whether discussing hot flashes, healing after betrayal or the uncertainty of becoming an empty nester, Beauvais speaks with a candor that resonates because it is rooted in experience.

And perhaps that’s why so many women see themselves in her story.

Not because her life has been perfect, but because she continues to meet life’s challenges with resilience, grace and the belief that every stage of life still holds something worth discovering.

Article by Jazmyn Summers.  Photos and video by 7Spontaneous of The Revenue Entertainment You can hear Jazmyn every morning on “Jazmyn in the Morning “on Sirius XM Channel 362 Grown Folk Jamz.  Subscribe to Jazmyn Summers’ YouTube. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

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