Niecy Nash Comes Out & Announces Marriage to Singer Jessica Betts

Niecy Nash, whose real name is Carol Denise Ensley, announced on Monday that she married singer, Jessica Betts. Nash, 50, captioned the wedding photo of their wedding on Instagram with the caption, “Mrs. Carol Denise Betts 💍 @jessicabettsmusic #LoveWins.”

The big news announcement came as a shock to her 2.3 million fans on Instagram, as the Claws actress hadn’t gone public with a new relationship since her divorce from ex-husband Jay Tucker, nor has she publicly discussed being gay or bisexual.

Betts, who’s originally from Chicago, posted the exact same wedding picture on her Instagram page. She captioned the photo, “I got a whole Wife, @niecynash1 #Bettsofbothworlds #LoveWins.”

While neither Nash not Betts went public with their romance, it appears they’ve been dating for at least six months. On February 23, the singer hinted at a romantic connection between the two on Instagram. Betts posted a photo of the actress wearing nothing but her underwear with the caption, “Happy Birthday to a real one.”

On June 29, Betts tagged Nash in a selfie photo on Instagram. With a Louis Vuitton scarf around her face she wrote, “Challenge accepted @niecynash1 #WearADamnMask it’s real in these streets. Stay safe y’all.”

Nash previously tied the knot with Tucker at the Church Estate Vineyard in Malibu in May 2011. The couple announced that they were going their separate ways in October 2019. Nash has three children with her first husband, Don Nash, whom she married in 1994. They divorced in 2007.

Nash Said Following Her Divorce, ‘It Is Much Easier to Walk in Your Truth Than It Is to Run Towards a Life’

While Nash never publicly discussed that she was attracted to women, the actress seemingly hinted that she was living a lie while accepting the Vanguard Award the 2020 Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards Luncheon in February, as reported by People.

Nash said of her divorce from Tucker, whom she was married to for eight years, “In this season of our lives, we are better friends than partners in marriage. Our union was such a gorgeous ride. And as we go our separate ways now, we feel fortunate for the love we share — present tense.”

Because so many perceived them to be the perfect couple, deciding to divorce was incredibly difficult. She said her family asked, “’Well if the man ain’t beating you… What are you leaving for?’ The untethering from my family’s beliefs, the internet’s expectations and my marriage ending caused me so much pain,” Nash said, explaining how she asked her family in return, “‘But what about my happiness?’”

Mindy Kaling & Niecy Nash Lesbian Kiss The Mindy Project2016-11-03T14:25:00Z

Nash has posted numerous photos on Instagram supporting the LGBTQ community, and while guest-starring on The Mindy Project in 2014, she portrayed a lesbian doctor that kissed Mindy Kaling in the memorable episode.

Nash Has Been a Fan of Betts’ Music for Years

A D D I C T E D ❤️ #mood @jessicabettsmusic pic.twitter.com/0ChibSj862

— Niecy Nash (@NiecyNash) August 25, 2016

Nash has been a fan of Betts for years. In 2016, she posted a video of Betts singing and playing guitar on Twitter. She captioned the clip, “Addicted,” with a heart emoji.

In June 2018, Betts thanks Nash for helping celebrate the singer’s birthday on the set of TNT’s Claws.

It’s not yet known when Betts and Nash’s relationship became romantic, or the details surrounding their surprise nuptials. Hours before sharing the big news on Instagram, Betts shared her song entitled “Catch Me,” which appears to be inspired by her relationship with Nash. However, during the taping of the season finale episode of Claws in August 2018, Betts shared a video of Nash in costume for her character’s wedding day, and the two of them singing “Catch Me.”

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