Actress and television host Niecy Nash and her wife, singer Jessica Betts, made history this week as the first same-sex couple to appear on the cover of Essence magazine.
In the cover feature, titled “Niecy Nash and Wife Jessica Are Sure Betts,” the couple opens up about their romance — including finding love after heartbreak — and the viral response to their wedding announcement in the summer of 2020.
In a series of tweets Thursday, the “Claws” star posted photos from the Essence photo shoot alongside hashtags, including #makinghistory and #BlackHerstory.
The couple met on social media in 2015 after Nash discovered Betts’ music. They developed a friendship over the next four years, which they said turned romantic after a night at Nash’s place.
“I was nervous at dinner because I felt something,” Nash, 52, told Essence. “I could not wrap my head around it. I was trying to see if I was off, ’cause I wanted to keep the night going. And the night turned into the rest of my life.”
Now, 18 months after their wedding announcement went viral on social media, the couple said they’re still shocked by the public’s response.
“A lot of people thought it was like a movie or some promo,” Nash told the magazine. “They started calling everybody, and we were like, ‘This is insane.’ I never knew why where you lay your head is such a big deal to other people. I was like, ‘People care?’”
Betts and Nash (who also goes by Carol Denise Betts) say they are still wildly in love and hope to capture it for the world to see.
“If there’s an agenda, it’s that we’re going to spread queer joy. The world needs it. Real talk,” Betts told the magazine.
