Celebrities Who Chose To Get A Hysterectomy After 40

Over half a million people get a hysterectomy every year in the U.S., according to Mayo Clinic News Network. They account for the most commonly performed gynecological procedure outside of childbirth-related ones. Even so, there's still a considerable amount of confusion about what the surgery actually entails. In fact, there are even plenty of myths about hysterectomies that people should stop believing. 

A hysterectomy is a surgical procedure to remove the uterus, and there are different types of hysterectomies. There's the partial hysterectomy, in which a part of the uterus is removed while the cervix, fallopian tubes, and ovaries are left untouched. In contrast, with a total hysterectomy, a person gets all of their cervix and uterus removed. While fallopian tubes may also be removed with the procedure, ovaries are usually left untouched. Finally, there's the hysterectomy and salpingo-oophorectomy, which entails the removal of the cervix, fallopian tubes, and one or both of the ovaries. After undergoing any type of hysterectomy, a person cannot have children naturally or experience menstruation. 

Some of the most common reasons a doctor might recommend a hysterectomy include heavy periods, prolapse of the uterus, a cancer detection in the reproductive organs, and pelvic pain, which can be brought on by conditions like pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), adenomyosis, or fibroids. It's also one of the many treatments that are available for endometriosis. Some may undergo a preventative hysterectomy after learning they were at a greater risk for certain cancers. We can also learn a lot about what happens to the body after you get a hysterectomy from celebrities over 40 who have shared their experiences, from Kris Jenner to Camille Grammer.

During a 2026 appearance on the "She MD" podcast, Kris Jenner shared that her doctor had discovered a spot on her ovaries during her annual Prenuvo scan a couple of years prior. When her doctor noticed that her benign ovarian tumor had subtly grown in later years, she recommended that the then-69-year-old undergo surgery to remove her ovaries. Shortly before the surgery, Jenner's doctor also recommended that she undergo a hysterectomy to err on the side of caution. 

Initially, the reality TV star was hesitant about removing an organ from her body. Jenner went on to share the change of perspective that empowered her to go through with the surgery, saying, "I would rather be clear of any medical complication or anything having a chance to attach itself and grow back, so I just said, 'Let's go in and take care of it.'" Jenner was further propelled to undergo a hysterectomy after realizing that she didn't have the desire to have any more children. However, that practical decision understandably proved emotionally charged for the momager. 

During a 2024 episode of "The Kardashians," Jenner teared up when she shared the health news with her children and explained that she was sad to be rid of the organs that had helped her welcome six children over the years. To her, the surgery was "a sign of, we're done with this part of your life. It's a whole chapter that's just closed" (via Today). However, during her appearance on "She MD," Jenner said that the surgery was the "best decision [she] had ever made." Her doctor also notably revealed that they had videotaped her hysterectomy.

In a 2022 Instagram post, then-56-year-old Sandra Lee shared that she was advised to undergo a hysterectomy immediately after she had surgery for breast cancer seven years prior. However, she had been hesitant to undergo another major surgery after dealing with the complications from her breast cancer operation. So, the television chef had wound up putting hysterectomy on the back burner. However, during a routine appointment, her gynecologist "noticed a change in some of [her] cells." 

After getting additional opinions from other health professionals, Lee learned that she couldn't put off the hysterectomy any longer. Lee went on to describe her headspace after coming to the decision, writing, "I am filled with all sorts of emotions. I am scared but also happy to be getting this done – strength and courage!" Elsewhere in the post, the Emmy winner shared that she had decided to be open about her decision to encourage others who might be in her shoes to take the right step for their health. A few days later, Lee took to Instagram to share that the surgery had been "rough" and she was in a lot of pain. 

In another update post shared days later, Lee confessed that her third day post-surgery had been particularly hard on her, writing, "All I can remember is I threw up all day — I was so sick, I threw up and cried, threw up and cried." After a visit to the emergency room, she learned that her kidneys were only working at 30% capacity due to an infection. Despite the aftermath, Lee understandably had no qualms about her decision to get a hysterectomy.

In a chat with Cleveland Clinic, Chris Evert shared that she had undergone genetic testing for the BRCA1 upon the recommendation of her late sister Jeanne Evert's oncologist. The tennis legend's elder sister, who had the gene mutation, passed away from ovarian cancer at the age of 62 in 2020. So, when doctors discovered that Chris had the same genetic mutation, they urged her to get a hysterectomy. 

During a 2022 interview with ESPN, the retired tennis player revealed that she had undergone the procedure in 2021, at the age of 66. However, after the hysterectomy, doctors discovered that she had cancer. Then came a few days of anxious waiting while tests were conducted to determine the stage of cancer she had. The waiting ended on a relatively good note, as doctors told her the cancer had been removed during the hysterectomy and had not spread. Even so, she still had to undergo six rounds of chemotherapy and a surgery to lower the risk of her getting cancer in the future. After the treatment, the odds of the cancer returning were lowered by 90%. 

In a 2023 ESPN post, Chris revealed that she also had a double mastectomy in 2022, exactly a year after she had her hysterectomy. Despite all her efforts, Chris' cancer returned in December 2023. In a statement shared on X, formerly Twitter, through ESPN, the 18-time Grand Slam winner shared that doctors had discovered cancer cells in her pelvic area in a PET CT scan and had subsequently recommended that she undergo chemotherapy. In a 2025 post for The Free Press, Chris shared that she was in remission.

Speaking to Ability Magazine in 2005, Fran Drescher recalled how she had visited eight doctors over the course of two years to treat some unusual symptoms she had been having, including pain after intercourse. However, seven out of these doctors had diagnosed her with perimenopause. It wasn't until she got to the eighth doctor, who suggested that she have a precautionary endometrial biopsy, that she was diagnosed with uterine cancer. It's worth noting that all eight doctors had initially brushed off "The Nanny" star's concerns about cancer. 

At 42, she had to undergo a radical hysterectomy. During Drescher's talk at Chicago Ideas in 2012, she revealed that she had to wear a transdermal epidural patch ever since she underwent the surgery because she would "go crazy" if she didn't wear it. Additionally, in a 2026 People interview, Drescher shared that she had also been told that she wouldn't be able to have children after the surgery. 

Getting that news would have been hard in any phase of life; however, it was particularly difficult for the "Marty Supreme" actor because she was in a relationship with a man 16 years younger than her at the time and could see children on the horizon. Additionally, right before she got the news, she was considering freezing an embryo. "That was my destiny," Drescher ultimately said of her health journey. "I think it's hard for any woman to have that surgery, but for ones who have never had children like myself, it was definitely a bitter pill to swallow."

Speaking to The Patient Source, Camille Grammer shared that she regularly did checkups for cancer on account of her family history with the disease. At 35, she took things a step further and underwent genetic testing, only to learn that she had the mutation for Lynch syndrome, which made her around 80% more prone to certain types of cancer. Although her doctor recommended that she undergo a hysterectomy immediately, she put it off because she wanted to have children in the near future. 

In 2013, the then-44-year-old "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star decided to undergo a robotic laparoscopy in lieu of a traditional hysterectomy after her pap test results showed abnormal cells. Although the surgery was admittedly more "painful" than the standard operation, Grammer was still glad she opted for it because it brought a shorter and easier recovery time. In a 2018 post for Bravo, Grammer wrote that the physical and mental changes that her body had undergone during her cancer treatment made for a tumultuous recovery. "After the surgery, I experienced hot flashes and a waning libido," she shared. "It's difficult feeling sexy after all of this. You are adjusting to life in remission with little [libido], night sweats, and a host of other new gifts after such treatment." 

Grammer similarly described her emotions in an interview with CURE, writing, "There's a feeling of your sexuality, your sensuality, your femininity, being taken away from you." However, she was trying to make up for that feeling by rediscovering her passion for dance.