At a Glance
- Melissa Rivers says hormone replacement therapy ended the rage and “heaviness” she felt during menopause
- She launched the podcast Women Our Age to let high-profile women speak candidly about mid-life changes
- Rivers, 57, calls HRT a “game changer” that made her “not want to rip people’s heads off”
- Why it matters: The show streams free on QVC+ and HSN+, normalizing conversations once considered taboo
Melissa Rivers is done staying quiet about menopause. The 57-year-old host says hormone replacement therapy (HRT) lifted the anger and misery that had become her daily norm, and she’s putting the topic front and center on her new podcast, Women Our Age With Melissa Rivers.
From Rage to Relief
“The anger got under control,” Rivers tells News Of Losangeles, laughing as she recalls the first change she noticed once she started HRT.
Before treatment, she lived with what she describes as a persistent heaviness.
“I remember waking up and thinking, ‘Am I going to wake up feeling like this for the rest of my life? This is f—ing miserable!’
Rivers calls HRT a “game changer” that delivered both mental and physical benefits.
- Improved strength: yoga poses felt easier and her body recovered faster
- Emotional stability: she no longer wanted to “rip people’s heads off”
- Overall comfort: fewer aches the day after workouts
A Podcast Built on Honest Talk
Women Our Age streams free on QVC+ and HSN+, featuring guests such as Gabrielle Reece and Stacy London. Rivers promises equally frank discussions about where these women are in life.
“This is exactly the kind of stuff we’re going to be talking about with our guests – all these high-profile women talking about this stage in our lives,” she says.
Rivers also sees the show as a celebration of aging.
“I mean, these women are hotter than ever,” she says of the 50-plus demographic. “Look at Nicole Kidman, Halle Berry, Kate Winslet, Jennifer Aniston. These women are still beautiful and movie stars, amazing, and also of a certain age.”
She notes that these actors remain top box-office draws, proving that discussing aging, dating, and bodily changes no longer carries stigma.
Breaking Her Family’s Silence
Rivers never discussed menopause with her mother, comedian Joan Rivers, because the subject simply never came up.
“She never talked to me about it. But she had a hysterectomy, and she told me she only ever had one hot flash,” Rivers recalls.
By contrast, Rivers endured night sweats so severe she had to change the sheets or lay down towels, often ending up “in a fit of tears.”
The podcast aims to end that generational silence by welcoming women who have made major life pivots.
“We’re talking about all sorts of stuff with the guests – especially women who have done major life pivots. I’m genuinely excited about who we get to talk to,” she says.
Rebuilding While Recording
Rivers launched the project during an eventful stretch. She married Steve Mitchel in March 2024, just one month after losing her home in the Palisades fire. Through the upheaval, creating a space for unfiltered conversations about mid-life remained a priority.
Episodes drop on QVC+ and HSN+, giving viewers free access to candid chats that cover everything from hormonal upheaval to reinvention after 50.
Key Takeaways
- HRT eased both the emotional and physical toll of menopause for Rivers
- Women Our Age features celebrity guests sharing unfiltered stories about mid-life
- Rivers hopes normalizing these discussions will help future generations avoid the silence she experienced with her mother
