Celebs Who Proved There's No Shame In Having A Period

Despite the fact that 1.8 billion people worldwide menstruate, it hasn't stopped periods from being a taboo subject. So whenever anyone, especially someone who has a platform, talks about their period, it's an important step towards normalizing something that's, well, absolutely normal. And when celebrities actually use the word "period" or "menstruation," it's even more important. 

"The sheer number of euphemisms shows that using indirect turns of phrase to avoid talking about periods is a global issue," Ida Tin, co-founder of menstrual health app Clue, told Broadly (via Vice). "These examples show the lengths people will go to avoid using the word 'period' and are evidence that the taboo exists." Not only are periods a natural part of life, but the menstrual cycle is absolutely essential if we're to keep the species going. In other words, periods are part of the human equation and shaming people who bleed is simply wrong.

"A good education lays great foundations for the future," Tin added. And while states like Florida may want to put an end to period talk in elementary schools, restrictive laws can't erase reality. Some people bleed every month, and there should be zero shame in discussing it. Whether it's performing with visible tampon strings or talking about menstrual cramps from hell, these celebs are helping to erase the period taboo.

Since becoming a major star in 2024 thanks to the release of her album "Brat," Charli XCX has proven she likes to push boundaries and even shock people a bit. Especially if it might make those on the wrong side of history feel uncomfortable. For proof, look no further than the open way she talks about, not just tampons in general, but her tampons.

During a concert in Austin, Texas, back in September 2019, Charli XCX addressed the fact that her tampon string was visible to the crowd. "My tampon string is out tonight," she told the crowd, via Glamour. "Last night I was like, I thought it came out, but tonight, it came out, Austin." After her performance, instead of shying away from what happened, Charli XCX doubled down, taking to Instagram to post a video with a caption that read in all capitals, "My tampon string stole the show. Her stage presence is iconic [to be honest]."

In 2025, Charli XCX again talked about menstruation at one of her shows, announcing she had gotten her period right before going on stage (via TikTok). "Is my tampon string gonna stick out or is it going to be okay?" she rapped to the crowd before answering her own question with, "To be decided." Turns out her tampon string decided to stay put.

While Lena Dunham played a neurotic millennial on-screen in HBO's "Girls," behind the scenes she was struggling with endometriosis, a condition that affects about 190 million people of reproductive age worldwide, per the World Health Organization. Although there are many side effects of endometriosis, including excruciating periods, painful sex, and other issues that can negatively impact one's daily life, it's still not something that's discussed much. Like many others, Dunham had no idea that her suffering wasn't normal.

But when Dunham was finally able to put a name to what had been plaguing her for about 13 years, she was very open about how debilitating her periods were throughout her teens and early 20s, and the pain she endured even when she wasn't menstruating. "I really believe that for so long woman's diseases, specifically diseases of the genitals, have been things that we don't want to discuss," Dunham said in a video for Cosmopolitan UK in 2020. "Bleeding intensely, bloating, stomach pain, diarrhea. There's a lot that comes along with endometriosis which isn't stuff we want to talk about." 

In 2017, Dunham decided enough was enough and got a total hysterectomy. Since then, she's been advocating for adequate endometriosis care. And, of course, we can count on Dunham to keep the period dialogue going.

If you need a feminist who's not ever going to back down, you don't need to look much further than Jameela Jamil. Not only did she make headlines when she roasted so-called feminists at the 2023 Met Gala, and remains one of a handful of celebs who have called out unrealistic photoshopping, but she doesn't shy away from talking about her period or advocating for period poverty awareness. Basically, Jamil is the hero we all need.

In 2017, when asked in an interview with Stylist what women should be exposed to these days, Jamil said, "I've got spots today because my period is due next week. I'm fine with the fact those might show up in the photoshoot." In the same interview, she shared that she always shows off her stretch marks.

In honor of Menstrual Hygiene Day in 2022, Jamil talked about partnering with P&G Always to bring more attention to period poverty. In the caption of a now-deleted Instagram video, Jamil wrote, "I was shocked to learn approximately 3.5 million girls have missed school HERE in the U.S. due to a lack of access to period products," adding that it was "far too many," and that access to period products is important for those who menstruate to feel safe, confident, and maintain dignity, via Eastern Eye. Jamil said to one publication, "If men even had nosebleeds every single month, we would have free nose plugs available on every single street corner. I really mean that." Sounds about right.

As far as periods go, Mindy Kaling has an interesting relationship with her menstrual cycle. For starters, she was a late bloomer and, wanting to fit in, legit faked her period — so very Kelly Kapoor of her. "I started menstruating in ninth grade," Kaling wrote for Rookie Yearbook Two, per Glamour. "I spent all of eighth grade faking that I had my period, down to sticking Kotex in my underwear in case anyone needed proof." If that isn't a whole new level of kicking period shame to the curb, then nothing is.

In May 2016, during an interview with Conan O'Brien, Kaling brought period talk to late night television, explaining why she posted a photo of her tampon box on Instagram. First she jokingly suggested that Playtex was stealing her silhouette to sell tampons, then she expressed how unrealistic the image of the woman in a dress and heels is — especially on a box of tampons, of all things. "For any woman who actually does menstruate, you would never wear that outfit," said Kaling. "You'd be in like, big sweatpants, or at least that's me... watching 'Gilmore Girls.'"

For many people who menstruate, comfort is the priority during periods. While there are exercises and movements that can put period cramps on pause, sometimes it's not just about cramps. According to a 2023 study, menstruation can also cause nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, as well as menstrual migraines. A 2012 study found that 84.1% of women have period pain with 43.1% experiencing pain every time they menstruate. So yes, sweatpants are a menstruating person's best friend.

Shortly after "Titanic" hit theaters, catapulting Kate Winslet to international fame, she sat down with Rolling Stone to talk about a whole boatload of topics, including her period. "I'm not saying it was all happy-clappy," Winslet told the magazine in 1998. "There were days when you'd just think, 'Oh, my God, I've got my period and I can't get in that freezing-cold water today.' I remember standing up and saying to everyone, 'Listen, if it suddenly looks like 'Jaws,' the movie, it's my fault'."

Winslet has also talked about how her period affects her complexion — something many of us can relate to — and how she's learned to manage it with foundation. "Depending on my cycle, my skin can be a little bit more inflamed," Winslet told Allure in 2021, adding that at the beginning of her cycle, her skin looks more even, but by the middle of it, things get a little haywire. "So, I mix a couple of tones," said Winslet. Granted, Winslet is stunning without makeup, but sometimes the best way to battle the period blues is by sprucing up a bit.

While talking about menstruation regularly and using the proper words for it is a great way to subtract shame from the equation, sometimes writing a whole book is even better. So, that's what Jessica Biel did. In May 2024, Biel published "A Kids Book About Periods" and, frankly, it's exactly what our culture needs: a book that normalizes periods before the shame can even begin.

"I've always been interested in the female reproductive health and wellness space, and how I can be involved a way that feels authentic and helpful for me, my family and other people's families," Biel told Glamour in 2024. So, she partnered with Period.org to get the project off the ground and done in a way that makes sense for kids — which also meant skipping euphemisms like "Aunt Flo" and other terms. "Kids can handle the language," Biel said. "They want to know the truth. And if you normalize the language early on, then it doesn't sound weird. Why not tell the truth about how our bodies work?"

Having dedicated the book to her two young sons, Biel said she hoped people of all genders would read it and understand menstruation in a light that's void of stigma and archaic tropes. While we've certainly come a ways in regard to period acceptance, it's still isn't where it should be. Biel apparently wants to be part of that change. In addition to having written the book, she talks openly about her period with her sons, she said — and that's exactly what we need.