*Actress Niecy Nash became emotional while dishing about her divorce at Essence’s Black Women in Hollywood event last week
The Emmy-nominated “Claws” star urged women to put themselves first in an unhappy marriage, and her comments come a month after she and her second husband Jay Tucker announced they were separating after eight years.
In her emotional speech, Nash explained to the women gathered for the Beverly Wilshire luncheon why her family wasn’t exactly supportive of her ending the marriage, Page Six reports.
“There was a huge myth that I inherited from the women in my family which is, ‘You are nothing without a man. Get one, keep one, no matter what — blind, cripple, crazy, married or lazy — get one, baby girl, because they will validate you!’”
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She then said of her marriage to Tucker, “When I owned we were better friends than life partners, my family was quick to say, ‘But you all look so good together.’” And, “‘Well, if the man ain’t beating you, what you leaving for?’”
“The one that made me laugh the most was an ode to him being attractive. [They said,] ‘Well, you never had to put a sack on his head to sleep with him.’”
“And I replied, ‘What about my happiness?’ The untethering from my family’s beliefs, the internet’s expectations and my marriage ending caused me so much pain.”
Nash continued, “Pain is putting things in the necessary order. You’ve got to acknowledge how you feel. Trust that it is so much easier to walk in your shoes than it is run towards a lie.”
Adding, “This long line of women that I come from had never been taught what choosing themselves looks like.”
“You’ve got to own the part you play. I encourage you to walk in your truth, live your trauma and live your best damn life.”
The mother of two daughters stressed, “I am the most grateful because I now know myself much better than before.”
“I let my daughters watch me walk through the whole thing. Because I want them to get up every single day and choose themselves,” she said, holding back more tears, the report states.
“I realize I did right when my daughter said to me, ‘I am so proud of you, and I want to be just like you when I grow up.’ [My] generational curse is broken!”
Nash was honored at the event that was attended by influencers such as Ava DuVernay, Billy Porter, Issa Rae, Gabrielle Union, Janelle Monae, Lena Waithe and hosted by Eve.
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