Of all the clubs a woman could join, the hysterectomy club probably has one of the least appealing initiation processes.
No welcome basket. No membership perks. And unfortunately, no frequent-flyer miles for all those doctor appointments.
Yet millions of women belong to it.
Some arrive after years of painful periods, fibroids, or endometriosis. Others face cancer, life-threatening complications, or heartbreaking decisions about fertility.
And while hysterectomies are common, they're still surrounded by an astonishing amount of silence.
That's what makes it so powerful when someone famous speaks up.
Dolly Parton. Snooki. Kathy Bates. Porsha Williams.
These women could have kept their medical experiences private. Instead, they've shared intimate, sometimes heartbreaking details with millions of strangers.
And in doing so, they've helped make something that can feel frightening, isolating, or even shameful seem a little more normal.
Different women. Different reasons. One club nobody asked to join.
1. Porsha Williams: 21 Fibroids. Yes, TWENTY-ONE.
In September 2026, the Real Housewives of Atlanta star revealed that she'd undergone an emergency hysterectomy after doctors discovered 21 uterine fibroids, including one reportedly the size of a cantaloupe.
At that point, her uterus had apparently stopped being an organ and started developing its own real estate portfolio.
Porsha initially mistook some symptoms for perimenopause. After years of fertility struggles, surgery also meant she could no longer carry another child.
Her openness brings attention to symptoms too many women dismiss as a normal part of aging.
Read her story: Porsha Williams in Glamour
2. Dolly Parton: Even Dolly Had a Hysterectomy
In the 1980s, Dolly underwent a partial hysterectomy after struggling with endometriosis and severe bleeding.
She'd wanted children, and the experience took an enormous emotional toll.
Behind the rhinestones, the enormous hair, and the legendary career was a woman facing a deeply personal loss.
But her story didn't end there.
Dolly went on to build an extraordinary life, reminding women that losing the future they'd imagined doesn't mean losing the possibility of a beautiful one.
Read her story: Dolly Parton — Women & the American Story
3. Lara Lewington: Finally, Someone's Talking About Adenomyosis
British journalist Lara Lewington revealed in 2026 that she'd undergone a hysterectomy after struggling with adenomyosis.
Adenomyosis occurs when tissue similar to the uterine lining grows into the uterine muscle, potentially causing significant pain and heavy bleeding.
Basically, the tissue decides it needs more square footage.
Nobody invited it.
While endometriosis receives increasing attention, adenomyosis remains unfamiliar to many women.
Lara's willingness to name it publicly helps others recognize a condition they may have spent years struggling to understand.
Read her story: Lara Lewington in The Standard
4. Michelle Le: When Hysterectomy Changes Your Family Plans
Married at First Sight star Michelle Le underwent a hysterectomy in May 2026 after years of dealing with fibroids.
The surgery meant she could no longer carry a pregnancy.
She and her husband, Cameron Mitchell, have since begun pursuing surrogacy.
Michelle's story highlights something often overlooked: hysterectomy can involve mourning a future that suddenly looks very different.
Her willingness to discuss that grief gives other women permission to acknowledge their own.
Read her story: Michelle Le and Cameron Mitchell's update — Peacock
5. Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi: A Different Kind of Reality
In 2026, Snooki underwent a hysterectomy after being diagnosed with stage 1 cervical cancer.
She kept her ovaries and later shared that she had no evidence of disease.
Rather than presenting a perfectly polished recovery, she talked openly about fear, discomfort, and exhaustion.
Because hysterectomy recovery isn't always herbal tea and inspirational quotes.
Sometimes getting off the couch feels like an Olympic event.
Her honesty reminds women that courage doesn't require pretending everything is fine.
Read her story: Snooki's hysterectomy and recovery — Us Weekly
6. Elyse Myers: She Threw Her Uterus a Going-Away Party
Comedian Elyse Myers underwent a hysterectomy in 2025 after years of chronic pain.
Before surgery, her friends organized an actual farewell party for her uterus.
Champagne. Decorations. A stuffed uterus.
Honestly, respect.
If an organ has caused that much trouble, perhaps it deserves a retirement party.
Preferably without a return invitation.
Elyse's humor offers a refreshing reminder that serious medical experiences don't have to be discussed only in serious tones.
Sometimes laughter is part of surviving them.
Read her story: Elyse Myers' farewell party — People
7. Olivia Munn: Choosing Health Over the Future She Imagined
After being diagnosed with breast cancer, actress Olivia Munn underwent a hysterectomy in 2024, along with removal of her ovaries and fallopian tubes.
The decision helped address the debilitating effects of her hormone-suppressing treatment, but it also meant she could no longer carry another pregnancy.
Olivia has spoken openly about the grief and difficult decisions surrounding her cancer treatment.
By sharing those experiences, she's helped other women see that protecting their health and mourning what they've lost aren't contradictory feelings.
Read her story: Olivia Munn's personal interview — Vogue
8. Kathy Bates: Why She Stopped Keeping Her Cancer Secret
In 2003, Kathy Bates underwent a hysterectomy and chemotherapy for ovarian cancer.
For years, she kept her diagnosis private after being advised not to discuss it publicly.
Think about that.
The woman who terrified an entire generation in Misery was encouraged to keep quiet about her own health.
She eventually began sharing her experience, helping challenge the stigma surrounding cancer.
Her story raises an important question: Why should women ever feel embarrassed about receiving medical treatment?
Read her story: Kathy Bates' interview — Coping with Cancer
9. Camille Grammer: Not All Hysterectomies Are the Same
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Camille Grammer underwent a radical hysterectomy in 2013 after being diagnosed with endometrial cancer.
Her surgery and subsequent cancer treatments were considerably more extensive than many hysterectomies performed for noncancerous conditions.
Her experience illustrates something important.
Two women can both say they had a hysterectomy while having undergone completely different procedures and recoveries.
There's no universal experience, and there shouldn't be a universal expectation of recovery.
Read her story: Camille Grammer's firsthand account — Bravo
10. Emma Barnett: The Surgery She Never Wanted
BBC broadcaster Emma Barnett was making a documentary about endometriosis when she underwent surgery for the condition herself in 2026.
That surgery included a hysterectomy she'd never wanted.
Imagine spending months investigating a condition, only to find yourself confronting one of its most difficult treatment decisions.
Emma's openness reminds women that understanding the medical necessity of surgery doesn't automatically make it emotionally easy.
Read her story: Emma Barnett's hysterectomy — The Standard
11. Loren Brovarnik: When Childbirth Changes Everything
90 Day Fiancé star Loren Brovarnik experienced a frightening complication during the birth of her third child when her uterus began to rupture.
She later underwent a hysterectomy after considering the risks of future pregnancies.
Her experience was very different from those involving years of painful periods, fibroids, or endometriosis.
It's a reminder that women arrive at this surgery through vastly different circumstances, and every story deserves compassion.
Read her story: Loren Brovarnik's experience — People
12. Gizelle Bryant: The Surgery That Lasted Eight Hours
Real Housewives of Potomac star Gizelle Bryant underwent a hysterectomy after years of dealing with fibroids.
Her surgery, originally expected to last approximately three and a half hours, lasted about eight and a half.
She later described the experience as traumatic.
Not every hysterectomy story ends with someone announcing it was the best decision ever.
Some women feel relief. Others experience fear, grief, or complications.
Gizelle's honesty makes room for all of those feelings.
Read her story: Gizelle Bryant discusses her surgery — Bravo
13. Fran Drescher: Your Uterus Is Not Your Identity
After being diagnosed with uterine cancer in 2000, The Nanny star Fran Drescher underwent a radical hysterectomy.
She later spoke candidly about its emotional impact, including concerns about her body, femininity, and sexuality.
She eventually founded Cancer Schmancer to advocate for women's health.
Fran's willingness to challenge the stigma surrounding hysterectomy sends an important message:
Your uterus is an organ. It isn't your femininity, your sexuality, or your entire identity.
Read her story: Fran Drescher's interview — CBS News
14. Robin Quivers: A Twelve-Hour Surgery and Years of Cancer Treatment
Howard Stern's longtime radio partner Robin Quivers underwent a lengthy operation in 2012 that included a hysterectomy.
She was diagnosed with stage 3C endometrial cancer and endured years of treatment, including a recurrence.
In June 2026, she announced that she had no evidence of disease.
Her journey reminds women that strength isn't always loud or dramatic.
Sometimes it's simply continuing, one difficult day at a time.
Read her story: Robin Quivers' cancer update — AARP
15. Kris Jenner: Because Of Course There Was an Ovary Goodbye Party
In 2024, Kris Jenner underwent a hysterectomy and removal of her ovaries after doctors discovered a concerning ovarian growth that ultimately proved benign.
She became emotional discussing the loss of organs associated with carrying her six children.
Naturally, her daughters threw her an ovary goodbye party.
There was even cake.
Very Kardashian.
Surprisingly relatable.
Because even when a woman knows why surgery is necessary, she can still grieve what those organs represented.
Read her story: Kris Jenner's hysterectomy and farewell party — People
The Courage to Tell Their Stories
Dolly Parton. Snooki. Kathy Bates. Porsha Williams.
On paper, these women have almost nothing in common.
That would be one interesting dinner party.
But beneath the fame, their experiences sound remarkably familiar.
I was hurting.
I thought my symptoms were normal.
I was scared.
I wanted another child.
I needed relief.
I wasn't prepared for recovery.
And perhaps the most remarkable thing about these women isn't that they underwent hysterectomies. It's that they were brave enough to talk about them.
They didn't owe the public an explanation.
Their fertility struggles, cancer diagnoses, surgical complications, and deeply personal emotions could have remained entirely their own.
Instead, they chose to be vulnerable in front of millions of people, knowing their experiences might be judged, criticized, or misunderstood.
That takes courage.
And that courage has a ripple effect.
Somewhere, a woman preparing for surgery hears a celebrity admit she was terrified and realizes her own fear is normal.
Another, grieving the loss of her fertility, discovers that even women who appear to have everything can experience that same heartbreak.
Someone recovering from surgery hears another woman describe her exhaustion, frustration, or unexpected emotions and finally feels understood.
Every woman who speaks openly makes it a little easier for the next woman to feel less ashamed, less frightened, and less alone.
And no woman should feel obligated to share her medical history to prove she's brave. Choosing privacy takes nothing away from her strength.
But those who choose to speak publicly are giving others something enormously valuable: the comfort of knowing they're not the only ones.
They may never meet the women their stories have helped.
They may never realize how reassuring one honest conversation can be.
But somewhere, someone is hearing their words at exactly the moment she needs them.
And that's worth celebrating.
A hysterectomy may be an important chapter in a woman's life. It doesn't have to become her entire story.
After all, if Dolly could put the rhinestones back on and keep going?
Well, there's hope for the rest of the club, too.
A Little Help for the Hysterectomy Journey
Whether preparing for surgery or navigating life afterward, explore our Hysterectomy Recovery Essentials for practical tips, everyday comforts, and products that can help make recovery a little easier.
Because life is hard enough. Finding what helps shouldn't be.
Medical disclaimer: This article shares publicly reported experiences for informational and emotional-support purposes. Hysterectomy procedures, hormonal effects, and recovery vary. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for individual medical advice.
