Celebrity Celebrity Belief & Identity Celebrity LGBTQ+ Issues Niecy Nash on Falling in Love with Wife Jessica Betts: 'I Did Not Want to Be Without Her' Niecy Nash and Jessica Betts tied the knot in August 2020 By Dory Jackson Dory Jackson Dory Jackson is a Staff Editor for PEOPLE's TV News team. Upon joining the brand in March 2021, she has had the opportunity to interview a long list of celebrities, from Kate Hudson to Pierce Brosnan to Billy Porter. She has also helped recap popular TV shows like 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,' 'Sister Wives' and 'Vanderpump Rules.' The New York-based Maryland native graduated from Randolph-Macon College in May 2016 with a focus on Communication Studies and Journalism. She came to PEOPLE in March 2021 after working at a number of major news companies, including Newsweek and Us Weekly. People Editorial Guidelines Published on April 5, 2021 06:05PM EDT Niecy Nash's feelings for her wife Jessica Betts initially took her by surprise. "I was like, 'What am I feeling?' 'What is happening?' And then I knew very quickly that I did not want to be without her," Niecy, 51, said during an appearance on PEOPLE (the TV Show!). "So, I leaned in hard, obviously." The Claws star was previously married to Don Nash from 1994 to 2007 and Jay Tucker from 2011 to 2020. She shares her three adult children, Dominic, 28, Donielle, 25, and Dia, 21, with Don. Niecy married the "Catch Me" singer, 41, in an intimate California ceremony in August 2020. Before discovering her attraction to Betts, the pair had been friends for years. CatchPeople (the TV show!) Monday through Friday. Check your local listings for exact times or stream the show every day at 7 p.m. ET/ 4 p.m. PT atPeople.com andPeopleTV.com. "We went to go eat crabs and had wine [one night], and I just saw her differently," the Scream Queens alum said of what changed between the now-couple. "And I was like, 'Wow, who are you right now?' " During Niecy's Red Table Talk appearance last month, the actress opened up about how she came out to her kids. At the time, she revealed that she'd "never been with a woman before" Betts. Niecy Nash and Jessica Betts. Niecy Nash/Instagram Niecy Nash Says Her Marriage to Jessica Betts Was a 'Going Into Myself,' Not a 'Coming Out' "My daughters were like, 'Wait what?' " she said on the March 31 episode. This Thursday, the couple will take part in the 32nd annual GLAAD Media Awards. Niecy will serve as the event's host, while Betts has been tapped to perform. During the actress' PEOPLE (the TV show!) appearance, she opened up about why it was so important for her to host this year's ceremony. "I'm the newest member of the community," she said ahead of the event, which airs on YouTube Thursday at 8 p.m. ET and can later be streamed via Hulu at 10 p.m. ET. "It was only right!" For more on Niecy and Betts' love story, check out her appearance on PEOPLE (the TV show!) above.