Porsha Williams Opens Up About Emergency Hysterectomy After Fibroid Diagnosis

Porsha Williams is opening up about a health crisis that led to a life-saving emergency surgery earlier this year. The Real Housewives of Atlanta star revealed Friday that she underwent an emergency partial hysterectomy in May after doctors discovered nearly two dozen uterine fibroids.

Williams, 45, shared the details of her medical journey during an appearance on CBS Mornings and in a first-person essay for Glamour. The reality star disclosed that surgeons removed 21 fibroids during the procedure, one of which had grown to the size of a cantaloupe.

The Unexpected Discovery

The discovery occurred unexpectedly when Williams accompanied a friend to a fertility appointment. While there, Williams asked for an exam to check on her own health as she considered expanding her family. She recalled the moment the mood in the room shifted when the doctor performed the ultrasound.

“She went silent and I looked at the screen and all I could see was like black,” Williams told host Gayle King. Having been diagnosed with fibroids in her late 20s—a condition that contributed to a miscarriage at four months—Williams said she immediately recognized the gravity of the situation. Uterine fibroids are noncancerous muscular growths that develop in or around the uterus. While common, they can cause severe symptoms.

Navigating Recovery and Advocacy

Williams admitted she had been suffering from extreme fatigue, migraines, and a menstrual cycle that lasted six weeks, but she initially attributed the issues to perimenopause. The emergency surgery resulted in the removal of her uterus, effectively ending her ability to carry another child. However, the procedure preserved her ovaries.

Williams, who is already a mother to 7-year-old daughter Pilar Jhena, said she had to grieve the loss of her fertility while acknowledging the necessity of the operation. “I didn’t have a choice about the hysterectomy, but it saved my life,” Williams wrote in her essay, noting that her quality of life has improved “100%” since the surgery.

Following the reveal, Williams took to Instagram to thank her followers for their outpouring of support. She said she chose to go public with her story to inspire other women to take charge of their reproductive health and seek medical advice for unexplained symptoms. “Thank you for all of the love and support today. My heart is so full,” Williams wrote. “I just pray that by being brave enough to share my loss, my journey through surgery, and my new quality of life, my story will inspire women to take charge of their health and their bodies.”