Lupita Nyong’o opens up about shame and fibroids

Lupita Nyong’o says dealing with 77 fibroids left her hiding pain while working and feeling shame over years

Lupita Nyong’o has opened up about the deep shame she felt while navigating uterine fibroids, a condition affecting millions of women worldwide. In a candid interview with Linsey Davis on ABC News Live Prime, the Oscar-winning actress shared the personal and physical struggles she endured over the years while continuing her career.

Fibroids are noncancerous growths in the uterus that can lead to severe symptoms, including heavy bleeding, prolonged periods, pelvic pain, fatigue, and anaemia. Nyong’o revealed that she has had a total of 77 fibroids, with 25 surgically removed and over 50 still growing, the largest reportedly the size of an orange.

“I was hiding in plain sight,” Nyong’o said, reflecting on the early stages of her condition. “In the beginning, I thought, what did I do wrong? How did I not protect my body? How did it betray me this way?” Despite the pain, she continued attending red carpets, filming, and public appearances, putting on a brave face while privately enduring heavy periods, severe clotting, and exhaustion.

Nyong’o also highlighted the societal conditioning that often teaches women to accept pain as normal. “I think as women, we are conditioned from when we’re in our adolescent years to expect pain, to expect discomfort. And we’re not taught how to observe our bodies,” she explained.

Determined to turn her experience into advocacy, Nyong’o has launched the Make Fibroids Count campaign in partnership with the Foundation for Women’s Health. The initiative aims to raise awareness and fund research into minimally-invasive and non-invasive treatments for fibroids, offering hope to women facing similar struggles.

Her openness about fibroids is part of a broader effort to remove the stigma around women’s health and encourage conversations about conditions often endured in silence. Nyong’o’s advocacy not only brings visibility to fibroid-related challenges but also empowers women to seek care and demand better medical support.

The full interview with Lupita Nyong’o is available on ABC News Live Prime, streaming across multiple platforms including Disney+, Hulu, and YouTube.