Lupita Nyong’o has opened up about her silent battle with uterine fibroids. The 42-year-old actress revealed this on Wednesday, Feb 25, during an appearance on the Today Show, sharing that her fibroids had returned and that the biggest one was the size of an orange.
Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous tumors that grow in or on the uterus, and while they are common, Nyong’o’s case is exceptionally severe. According to a report, Black women are about three times more likely than white women to be diagnosed with fibroids.
Shortly after her Oscar win in 2014 for her debut film, 12 Years A Slave, Lupita underwent her first surgery to remove 30 fibroids. At the time, she was just 31 years old.
After years of management, a recent check-up two years ago revealed that the growths had not only returned but nearly doubled. She now faces more than 50 fibroids.
Her doctor said her only options were to continue living in pain or surgically remove the fibroids. She has recently paused on deciding whether to undergo another myomectomy (the surgical removal of fibroids). The procedure is invasive and poses a potential threat to her reproductive organs, a decision she says she isn’t “ready to make” just yet.
“I’m not ready to make that decision,” she shared. “It’s quite invasive, and it’s a big threat to our reproductive organs.”
ALSO READ: All You Should Know About The Causes, Symptoms And Treatment Of Fibroids
Nyong’o is now using her voice to advocate for women battling fibroids. In 2025, she joined forces with the Foundation for Women’s Health on a research grant supporting the development of minimally invasive and non-invasive fibroid treatments.
This has led to the creation of the #MakeFibroidsCount movement, which aims to raise awareness and funds for uterine fibroid research focusing on less invasive treatments.
The Oscar winner said speaking out and connecting with other women going through the same thing has helped her not feel alone.
“I’m excited right now because speaking up has really empowered me,” she said. “I’ve found community. I’ve locked arms with women who have been fighting this fight for a long time.”
“There’s a lot of power in speaking up,” she added. “I spoke up, and the amount of support I got hearing women say ‘me too’ and share their stories made me feel less alone, and it’s honestly what has bolstered me to do the work that I do now.”
Lupita Nyong’o is not the only Black actress who has experienced fibroids. Nollywood actress Ini-Dima Okogie has been vocal about her battle with the disease.