Linsey Davis, the Emmy-winning ABC News anchor, is opening up about a personal health battle she quietly faced for over a decade. In August 2025, she told PEOPLE she has been living with fibroids since first being diagnosed 13 years ago. “I suffered in silence. It’s not something that I would talk to anybody about other than the gynecologist,” she shared. Her decision to speak out comes as other high-profile women, including Lupita Nyong’o, have recently revealed their own experiences with fibroids, helping to raise awareness about a condition that affects millions of women — particularly Black women — and encouraging others to seek the care they need.
Find out more about her health journey, the condition, and others who have faced similar struggles below.
When Linsey was first diagnosed 13 years ago, she was told the condition was mild, but over time the fibroids grew and her symptoms intensified. By 2020, she was experiencing heavy, prolonged menstrual cycles, severe bloating, and exhaustion—symptoms that affected both her comfort and her confidence. That year, she underwent a myomectomy to remove six fibroids, which brought temporary relief.
Less than two years later, her symptoms returned, and doctors discovered 13 new fibroids. “I started feeling a little knot protruding from the left side of my lower abdomen,” she said.
Faced with the choice between another myomectomy, uterine fibroid embolization, or a hysterectomy, Davis opted for the latter, citing a desire for a permanent solution. Scheduled for August 15, 2025, the procedure marked what she described as an opportunity to live free from the discomfort and unpredictability that had defined so much of her life.
“I will never miss having a period,” she admitted. “A few weeks ago, I bought what I believe to be my last box of tampons ever, and I had a moment like, this is great. I’m excited to be able to live my life without having to schedule and plan and worry and be anxious that I’m gonna have this heavy bleeding and excessive bloating and this uncomfortable menstrual cycle every month.”
