‘I suffered in silence’: ABC’s Linsey Davis shares uterine fibroid struggle ahead of hysterectomy

Linsey Davis shares her complex journey with fibroids and the decision that led her to get a hysterectomy with the hope of spreading awareness. 

Linsey Davis is undergoing a hysterectomy soon, but not before she uses her platform to raise awareness for others.

On Monday, in both People magazine and during a special on ABC, the 47-year-old ABC News anchor revealed that her years-long journey with uterine fibroids has led her to schedule the surgery set for August 15. 

She also shared her complex journey with the condition where noncancerous growths develop on the uterus, causing a wide range of symptoms, including heavy bleeding, prolonged periods, excruciating pelvic pain, and severe bloating. 

“I suffered in silence,” Davis told People magazine. “It’s not something that I would talk to anybody about other than the gynecologist.”

Davis first learned she had fibroids 13 years ago. At the time, doctors described the condition as mild and warned it might pose fertility challenges. However, she and her husband, Paul Roberts, went on to welcome their son, Ayden, in 2014. About six years later, she began experiencing severe symptoms, including periods lasting up to two weeks, intense bleeding, and bloating so pronounced she looked six months pregnant. In 2020, she underwent a myomectomy that removed six fibroids, which brought relief until about a year and a half ago, when doctors discovered 13 new fibroids.

Faced with limited treatment options, she decided on a hysterectomy, a procedure that removes the uterus completely. 

“At that point, I was just in a state of mind like, I just wanna get rid of them,” she told People. “I feel confident that my life will be better,” she said, though she acknowledged it was a difficult choice.

A turning point came during the Oscars pre-show in March, when her bloating was visible in her dress, prompting online speculation that she was pregnant. During the ABC special, which included a discussion with “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Cynthia Bailey—who has also experienced fibroids—singer Tamar Braxton, and gynecologist Dr. Soyini Hawkins, Davis described that moment as painful and embarrassing, and one that cemented her decision.

“It was such an embarrassing moment … but it is a pouch that, you know, happens,” Davis recalled during the special. 

Davis is one of many women living with fibroids, which can affect over 70% of women by age 50 and more than 80% of Black women in the United States, according to Johns Hopkins. While experts have yet to pinpoint a definitive cause of the prevalence among Black women, they have isolated some potential factors like genetics, vitamin D deficiencies, and disparities in healthcare access, per the Mayo Clinic. 

While a hysterectomy is considered a definitive treatment, other options include myomectomy, uterine artery embolization, hormonal therapies, and newer noninvasive procedures. Still, studies show more than half of women undergo a hysterectomy as a first-line treatment, and Black women are at an increased risk of needing surgical intervention, underscoring the need for greater awareness of alternatives.

By speaking out publicly, Davis hopes to reduce the isolation others may feel. 

“If I had known earlier what I was dealing with and known other people’s stories, I wouldn’t have felt like I was suffering silently,” she said.