Oprah Winfrey Refuses To Shy Away From Her Menopause Symptoms & You Shouldn't Either

Oprah Winfrey has had a head-turning transformation since using Ozempic, but her experience with menopause has changed her too. Menopause marks the end to a woman's menstrual cycle, which can include an array of symptoms, including hot flashes, insomnia, pain, mood swings, restlessness, and forgetfulness. While some women report having little to no symptoms, others report severe or intense bodily changes. In 2022, after a difficult experience with menopause, Winfrey became an advocate for educating women experiencing the same life changes.

In recent years, the media mogul and author has not backed away from addressing her menopause symptoms. Winfrey told NBC's "Today" that she struggled to navigate her changing body and even had to end Oprah's Book Club due to a lack of concentration. "I thought I was going to die every night," she said. In addition to difficulty focusing, Winfrey said her symptoms also included anxiety, heart palpitations, depression, and lethargy. In 2025, she helmed the ABC special "An Oprah Winfrey Special: The Menopause Revolution." On the show, Winfrey spoke to different Hollywood stars about this phase of their lives.

For years, women have been shamed for menopause. The social stigma has led to a lack of education on the topic. However, experts say that because menopause affects women in different ways, it needs to be spoken about openly. Winfrey is not alone in confronting menopause, and many other famous faces are also embracing the life change.

For years, female celebrities have been trying to challenge the stigma attached to menopause by boldly addressing it in interviews and on television. Back in 2014, "Sex and the City" star Kim Cattrall told Cosmopolitan that her hormone shifts had left her feeling empowered. "I don't think it's shameful. It's as natural as having a child," she said. "I want to reach out to women to encourage them to educate themselves about this time in their lives," she added.

After dealing with early menopause, actor Gillian Anderson was also trying to change the narrative surrounding menopause. "How wonderful would it be if we could get to a place where we are able to have these conversations openly and without shame," she said in an interview with People in 2017. "Perimenopause and menopause should be treated as the rites of passage that they are," she added. "If not celebrated, then at least accepted and acknowledged and honored."

In 2023, British actor Naomi Watts told Hello! that she had struggled to navigate her menopausal symptoms and had since become an advocate for addressing women's health. "Mood swings, night sweats, and migraines ... I was feeling like I was spiraling out of control," she said. That same year, Shania Twain told the New York Post that menopause had changed her life for the better. "Menopause taught me to quickly say, 'You know, it may only get worse. So just love yourself now. Just get over your insecurities — they're standing in your way," she said.