6 Things We Learned About Niecy Nash and Jessica Betts' Sweet Love Story On ‘Red Table Talk’

The couple spilled a lot of tea and clarified a few things about how they met, who made the first move and how Nash’s children took the news. Here’s a recap.

By Charli Penn · Updated April 1, 2021

Don’t you just love a good love story?

Newlyweds Niecy Nash and Jessica Betts pulled up a seat the red table yesterday and opened up like never before.

The couple joined Red Table Talk hosts Jada Pinkett Smith, Adrienne Banfield-Norris and Willow Smith yesterday for a new episode of the hit Facebook Watch show and sat down for an intimate discussion about their headline-grabbing love.

You’ll recall that the Claws star surprised her fans last summer by announcing that she’d gotten remarried in a surprise ceremony…and plot twist, to a woman! Nash, 51, had tied the knot with her friend turned love-of-her-life, singer Jessica Betts, 38.

Since then, the couple has showed up in our feeds time-after-time basking in the glow of their love and sharing their unwavering joy with fans. Which, is exactly why we tuned in to watch the Betts open up about their beautiful love story and set the record straight on some of fans’ biggest questions about their love. For starters, contrary to popular belief, Nash made the first move!

“A lot of people think that this little Thundercat just came in here and picked me up and turned me every which way but loose, but I gave myself permission to feel what I felt in the moment and to be unapologetic about it,” says Nash about making the first step toward transitioning her relationship with Betts from friendship to romance.

Here’s a recap of what we learned about the Betts on the episode.

The Couple Got Engaged While Skinny-Dipping

Betts revealed on the show that they got engaged while skinny-dipping in a hot tub and when she turned and said to Niecy, “If anybody’s gonna be getting on my nerves, it’s going to be you. Marry me.” But…

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Article continues after video.

Niecy Was Already Planning to Propose When Jessica Did

Right after Betts asked her, Nash ran to grab the ring she’d already bought for Jessica because she also planned to purpose. “We engaged each other the same night,” Nash revealed.

Niecy’s Kids Love Jessica, But They Had A Hilarious Reaction To The Couple Dating

When Nash told her three kids, all young adults now, that she was officially romantically involved with her good friend Jessica, their initial reaction was hilarious. “My daughters were like, ‘Wait, what?,” Nash said. “My youngest daughter, she reminded me. She was like, ‘Wait a minute, Mom, are you the same mom who was like, ‘Girl, I’m strictly dickly?’ And I was like, wah wah. I was like, ‘Yeah, no, yeah. Yeah, but no.’” Ha! “And my son was like, ‘Woooow!’ My children were able to meet Jessica before they knew we were dating,” Niecy continued. “So they were able to meet her and form their own opinion about her as a person. And they all were like, ‘Oh, my God. She’s so cool. Oh, my God. I like her.’ They was exchanging numbers and all of this and that. So they already liked her.”

Niecy Was Hesitant To Date Jessica At First

Nash was reluctant to begin dating Betts romantically in the beginning for two reasons, she shared. For starters, after her divorce from Jay Tucker in 2019, she’d made other plans for her life. “I had said on the other side of this marriage I’m going to get me a little young 25-year-old … and I was just going to live my life and just have fun and I’m going to run these bachelorette streets,” Nash revealed. She also didn’t want to ruin a great friendship. “The second reason was because I was fearful that our friendship might not survive it,” shared Nash who thought valued her four-year long friendship with Betts. “I never want this person to not be in my life, so I don’t know what the running rules are.”

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With Jessica, Niecy Felt Seen For the First Time

“I’ve dated men all my life, too. Married a couple of ’em. But it was the first time in my life I had ever felt fully seen,” Nash told the hosts. “And it changed me, and the other thing that I think gets harder for people is when you don’t fit in the box we put you in.”

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Niecy Labels Herself As ‘Free’

At the time of the couple’s surprise wedding announcement, many news headlines said Nash had “come out” and Nash says that wasn’t exactly the case. • “A lot of people had said at the beginning, ‘Niecy Nash has finally come out.,” Niecy said. “And I said, ‘Well, come out of where?’ Because I wasn’t in anywhere. I wasn’t living a sexually repressed life…I loved the boys I was with when I was with them. And now this is who I love. “I wasn’t living a lie or trying to make myself like a man. I mean, I liked ’em. I liked ’em real good but now I’m on the new new. If I had to label myself in this moment, I would label myself with the term free.”

TOPICS: Jessica Betts Niecy Nash

It’s the Essies’ Choice Awards!

Meet the winner of the first-ever Essies' Choice Award presented by Diet Coke®.

By Noel Cody · Updated March 11, 2025

Making its red-carpet debut, the first-ever Essies’ Choice Award presented by Diet Coke® stole the spotlight at the ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards this year. It invited guests to enjoy the moment and take a break–and there’s nothing like a Diet Coke® break.

On the pulse of what matters most, this special award gives our amazing audience the power to vote who they believe is the rising star. Showcased at one of the most anticipated events in Black Hollywood during Oscar week, this award is a people’s pick and highlights what moves them into spaces of joy, power and action. And what better woman to host this event than Kamie Crawford? The second African American to hold the title of 2010 Miss Teen USA, she has worked as a host and co-host for various TV shows, including MTV’s Catfish: The TV Show. She’s also empowering others through her mental health and body positivity advocacy.
Let’s Meet the Nominees!

Best known for her breakout role in Middle of Nowhere, Emayatzy Corinealdi is a versatile actress who brings depth and authenticity to every character she portrays. This Independent Spirit Award nominee can seamlessly navigate between independent films and mainstream projects, like her incredible work on Reasonable Doubt on Hulu.

A Brooklyn native, Dominique Fishback is an accomplished spoken word poet, playwright and actress. She played Billie Rowan on Show Me a Hero, Darlene on The Deuce, and Deborah Johnson in Judas and the Black Messiah. She also penned a groundbreaking one-woman show, SUBVERTED, about the destruction of Black identity in America.

The talented cast of BET Plus’s hit show Sistas brings to life the heartfelt, relatable, and often humorous journey of modern Black women navigating love, friendship, and career. Featuring KJ Smith, Mignon Von, Ebony Obsidian, Crystal Renee Hayslett, and Novi Brown, their authentic portrayals of sisterhood have resonated deeply with audiences, making it a fan-favorite.

And the Winner is….

The cast of Sistas! Together, they shine as a testament to the power of connection and representation on screen. When Kamie announced the winner, these women were tearful and deeply appreciative, it meant so much to them to be honored in this way—especially by their incredible fans. “We will not take it for granted and we will continue to show up,” said KJ Smith.

Check out the video for more from the red carpet and interviews with this amazing ensemble cast—the winners of the first-ever Essies’ Choice Award presented by Diet Coke®.

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