When news broke last week that Claws star Niecy Nash had remarried during quarantine, fans and followers were naturally shocked. Not only had the actress just finalized her divorce from second husband Jay Tucker this spring, but her surprise trip down the aisle was with musician Jessica Betts, putting what Nash herself called a “plot twist” into both her own evolving story and long-held public presumptions about her sexuality.
But as the 50-year-old actress told People magazine in an exclusive for this week’s issue, her marriage “has absolutely nothing to do with gender and it has everything to do with her soul,” lovingly adding that Betts “is the most beautiful soul I have ever met in my life.”
“I was not suppressing my sexuality my whole life,” she added. “I love who I love. At one point in my life, I married twice and I love those people. And today I love this person. I’ve done everything I wanted to do on my own terms and my own way. So my choice now in a partner has nothing to do with who I’ve always been. It’s a matter of who I am in this moment.”
Accordingly, Nash would prefer that her marriage not be referred to as “coming out”—a term we admittedly used in our own initial coverage, both in reference to the idea of a joyous coming out party (because we love a party), and the bride’s prior statements that she’d recently come “out of the cocoon” following her divorce. Nevertheless, we happily stand corrected, because as Nash reminds us, love is love, no matter who the lucky partners.
“I don’t feel like my marriage is my coming out of anywhere, but rather a going into myself and being honest about who I love,” said Nash. “And I’m not limiting myself on what that love is supposed to look like.”
The star further explains that while her relationship with the 41-year-old singer-songwriter may be new to us, it began as a platonic friendship while she was still happily married to Tucker. In fact, she says she never envisioned even dating Betts during that time, but as People reports: “After Nash and Tucker announced their split in October 2019—a mutual decision made by the couple—the actress says something shifted.”
“I loved her before I was in love with her because she is such a special human being,” she shares. “But we began to see each other in a way we never had before. Sometimes you get so broken by love, you run from it. But I’ve learned that you should always hold space for magic because it can happen at any time.”
The couple’s “rustic chic” outdoor wedding on August 29 (planned by William P. Miller and catered by Chef Will Jones) certainly looked magical. The actress was absolutely stunning, showing off her trademark curves in a strapless gown by Allure Bridals, courtesy of the Tarzana, Calif.-based Lili Bridals. In a nod to the unexpected “plot twist,” she paired the look with a pair of “Pride”-themed Converse with rainbow soles. And in keeping with our current social distancing protocols, the couple furnished personal hand sanitizers and custom face masks sporting the hashtag “#LoveWins.” Betts serenaded her bride during the ceremony, which was followed by “plenty of dancing.” In deference to our ongoing restrictions, People reports the newlyweds took a “mini-moon” to Santa Barbara after the wedding.
“I’ve got my feet up, I’m looking at the ocean and I’ve got the greatest love of my life in my peripheral,” Nash told the magazine. “I couldn’t be happier.”
More details about Niecy Nash’s wedding will be in this week’s issue of People, on newsstands Friday.