Porsha Williams Details Emergency Hysterectomy to Save Her Life

Porsha Williams, known for her role on "The Real Housewives of Atlanta," has disclosed that she underwent an emergency hysterectomy earlier this year, a procedure she stated "saved my life."

In an essay published Friday in Glamour, Williams recounted discovering over 15 large fibroids in her uterus during a fertility appointment, where she was considering freezing her eggs. Her doctors also diagnosed her with endometriosis and a condition affecting her uterine lining.

Initially, Williams, 45, sought to avoid a full hysterectomy, and her doctor proposed a partial procedure that would allow her to keep her ovaries. However, during the surgery in May, medical staff discovered a total of 21 fibroids, with the largest measuring the size of a cantaloupe.

"I woke up after the surgery and thought, ‘A part of me is gone,'" Williams wrote. She reflected on the societal stigma surrounding hysterectomies, noting the feeling of being "less of a woman without your uterus."

Williams, who is a mother to a 7-year-old daughter, Pilar, with ex-partner Dennis McKinley, expressed her grief over the loss of her fertility. "I was 45 and headed toward perimenopause, and I didn’t want anything throwing my hormones off," she wrote. "On top of it all was the pain of knowing I’d never carry another child, and that I couldn’t even have eggs retrieved for a surrogate. That door had officially closed."

Despite the emotional toll, Williams stated that the surgery has significantly improved her quality of life. She explained that the fibroids had contributed to migraines, low iron levels, and considerable physical stress. Furthermore, the size of the fibroids had impacted her physical intimacy and put her bladder at risk.

Williams shared that she is now more present and grateful for her daughter, whom she considers her "true miracle" and "lifesaver."

Speaking on "CBS Mornings," Williams emphasized the importance of women advocating for their health and seeking professional medical advice. "We have to stop diagnosing ourselves. There are so many different things when it comes to a woman that you need to get checked, and we need to learn to advocate for ourselves," she told host Gayle King. "If I saw somebody like me sitting here with you talking about fibroids, it would have clicked to ask for it. I had to ask my doctor to check for fibroids after something was wrong."

Before the birth of her daughter in 2019, Williams had publicly shared her experience with a miscarriage six years prior. Her previous relationships include a marriage to Simon Guobadia, which ended in divorce in February 2024, and a current relationship with Patrice "Sway" McKinney.