Niecy Nash is here, queer, and married: Everything to know
Cue the wedding bells! Actress Niecy Nash made a surprising post on her Twitter and Instagram accounts on August 31st, announcing she married singer-songwriter Jessica Betts.
In the post, Nash & Betts are holding hands, looking joyously at an applauding audience. Nash is wearing a white mermaid tail dress, while Betts opted for a white and cream suit.
Nash paired her post with the caption, “Mrs. Carol Denise Betts”, referring to Nash’s legal name, Carol Denise. Betts posted an identical photo on her own Instagram along with the caption “I got a whole Wife.”
Up until the announcement posts, Betts & Nash’s relationship wasn’t public. We only got a glimpse of what happened on their special day, but here are a few details on what we know of the newly wedded couple.
Who is Jessica Betts?
Jessica Betts is an R&B singer-songwriter from Chicago. Betts broke out in the industry when she won the competition show The Road to Stardom with Missy Elliot in 2005. Betts released her first EP in 2015 entitled LLCoolJess and her most recent song, “Catch Me”, was released in 2018.
How did Nash & Betts meet?
We don’t know many details about Niecy Nash & Jessica Betts’s relationship, but we can infer they’ve been friends for a while. Betts posted a video of Nash in 2016 with the caption “Special Thanks to @niecynash1 for being such an Inspiration”.
After Betts appeared on Nash’s show Claws in 2018, the singer posted two behind-the-scenes videos with Nash on her Instagram. In one, the couple is taking a break and singing “Catch Me” together, accompanied by Betts’s guitar strumming.
Niecy Nash & Jessica Betts’s wedding
Details about the wedding are being kept under wraps, but Nash made a few posts on her Instagram Story relating to their special day. Around the time of her wedding post, Nash shared Betts’s song “Catch Me” on her Instagram Story with the caption, “Mine”, and a heart emoji.
Nash also blasted an adorable photo of herself & Betts including caption “#PlotTwist” and a rainbow emoji.
Ava DuVernay posted a tweet of a video from the wedding featuring the happy couple cutting their wedding cake. DuVernay paired the video with the caption, “I love you, friend. It was an honor to witness your wedding to Jess. May you both have more happiness than your hearts can hold. xo”. DuVernay directed Nash in Selma (2014) and limited series When They See Us.
Niecy Nash’s road to happiness
Nash, especially known for her roles in Claws, Scream Queens, & Reno 911!, hadn’t come out as queer prior to her wedding announcement.
Nash was previously married to Don Nash, a pastor, for thirteen years before divorcing in 2007. They had three children together. Niecy Nash was also married to electrical engineer Jay Tucker for eight years. Their divorce was announced in 2019 and finalized in March 2020.
Nash spoke about the latter divorce at the 2020 Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards Luncheon in February. During her acceptance speech for the Vanguard Award, Nash spoke about wanting to find her own happiness. The actor recounted how she wasn’t willing for her divorce to take over her life and put herself first.
With a new bride, Nash appears to be forging her own path on her own terms. Congrats to the newlyweds!
