Gabrielle Union, 53, says menopause made her rethink how she looks at life

• Gabrielle Union, 53, says menopause initially made her feel like her "value as a woman was diminishing."
• But she eventually learned to view menopause "not as an ending, but as a beginning."
• She previously said that some of her menopause symptoms eased after she adopted an anti-inflammatory diet.

Gabrielle Union, 53, says menopause reshaped her perspective in ways she didn't expect.

"It challenges you to look at life differently — and not as an ending, but as a beginning," Union told People in an interview published on Monday.

The actor, who is married to former NBA player Dwyane Wade, said the early stages of menopause were especially challenging.

"And initially, I felt shamed. I felt like my value as a woman was diminishing. I felt very isolated," she said.

But her outlook has since shifted.

"Over time, now, I feel empowered and I'm going to talk about it and I'm not going to lose a thing," she said.

Union has previously spoken about her experience with menopause. In a 2023 interview with Allure, she said her hot flashes started when she was in her 40s.

"I'd wake up in the morning and it was like someone had poured a gallon of water on the bed," she said.

Union added that some of her menopause symptoms improved after she adopted an anti-inflammatory diet without gluten, dairy, alcohol, or caffeine.

During an appearance on "Today with Jenna & Sheinelle" in early January, Union recounted an incident where she experienced a hot flash during a star-studded media event.

"What do I do? In front of these people? All of the sudden I look up and Bad Bunny goes, 'Are you okay?' And I can't stop it. It's just coming down in sheets," Union said. "Everyone starts handing me their napkins."

Other celebrities have also shared their experiences with menopause.

Katherine Heigl told Business Insider in July that it was challenging to go through perimenopause while parenting teenagers.

"Their hormones are all over the place, they're trying to adapt and get used to their new bodies and their new ways of thinking, and I am too. So the only thing I can do is look at them and go, 'Well, at least we're in it together,'" she said.

In October, Naomi Watts told Business Insider that being diagnosed with perimenopause at 36 "knocked me sideways." She said she experienced symptoms like night sweats and brain fog, which affected her career.

"Sometimes remembering lines becomes a lot harder," Watts said.