Quantcast
RELATED

Cree Summer is considered by many to be the voice of our generation. Beyond her iconic turn as Freddie Brooks on the cultural staple A Different World, she's managed to breathe life into countless animated characters throughout the decades, adding soul and technicolor to our collective Black girl childhoods.

These days, the decorated entertainer has been using that same voice to speak openly about intimacy and reminding us that our sexuality only grows richer with age.


On a recent episode of the rewatch podcast, ReLiving Single, hosted by former series co-stars Erika Alexander and Kim Coles, Cree got candid about how her relationship with sex has evolved in recent years. And according to the Ironheart actress, the sex has never been better.

Cree Summer On Her Sexual Evolution

"I'm having better sex now than I've ever had in my life," she said on the podcast. "I think I enjoyed sex when I was younger but it was performative many times. Something had to get me loose or to set me free. And at this age, everything is where it is...I breastfed two babies. And I've been through some shit, and nothing--it doesn't look like it used to, but it feels better because I don't have the ability to put on a performance.

"I don't have the ability to pretend. You get the honor to be alive for this long. Who the fuck wants to do all that?"

Menopause As A Turning Point

When Kim asked what flipped that switch for her, Cree shouted out menopause as the real MVP in her sexual evolution. "Honestly it's going to sound crazy. I think it was when I went into menopause because my body became out of my control... When your body starts behaving in a way that you have no control over then you don't have that 20-year-old control where it's like, 'Oh I'm going to pose like this,' and 'I'm going to moan like this.' And it's all just a 'Hollywood handjob' in the end.

"But now I think it's just delighting in how present I am... I feel like I want to try all kinds of things and I'm becoming less shy. I used to be quite shy."

This isn't the first time the 56-year-old has talked about the liberation that comes with sex after menopause. In her appearance on Shannon Boodram's podcast Lovers By Shan earlier this year, she also reflected on how her relationship with intimacy has deepened with age. "Now in my 50s, I just don't care anymore. I'm feeling things I've never felt before and trying things I've never felt before," she shared with Shannon in the April 29 episode.

Intimacy Beyond Performance

"There's a freedom now that I never had, not even in my 40s." She even revealed some of her newly discovered turn-ons like taking things slow, maintaining eye contact, and in her words, "I like to be choked a little bit."

Hearing her speak so openly and lovingly about how menopause has "freed" her sexually offers a reframe we don't hear often enough.

Because in a world where hot flashes and vaginal dryness are often the loudest parts of the menopause narrative, Cree's POV is as refreshing as it is potent in reminding us that this chapter doesn't have to be an end for pleasure and feeling good in our bodies. For many women, it can also be an awakening to parts of yourself you didn't know were waiting to be explored.

Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.

Featured image by Rob Latour/Shutterstock

 

RELATED

 
TRENDING
ALSO ON XONECOLE
Sagittarius-zodiac-sign-October-2025-horoscopes

December is about letting go. We end the year with the need for more peace, reflection, and rejuvenation, and that is exactly what December is providing for us. The Sun is in Sagittarius, and anything is possible. This is the month to believe in that and to know that the universe is supporting you. With a Supermoon in Gemini as we begin the month as well, we have an opportunity to gain the closure we have been looking for this year and to wrap up old projects, ideas, and communication breakthroughs.

This is the month to make your peace the priority and let go of trying to control the way the tides are turning. Trust in your new beginning, and give yourself time to prepare for it this month.

KEEP READINGShow less
Do You Expect Others To Read Your Mind? Here's The Problem With That.

Omniscience. If someone were to offer you $100 right this second for the definition of that word, could you immediately provide it? If you’re not sure, basically omniscience is about being able to know everything — and to those who believe in God, only he is given that honor. For those who believe in Satan? Not even he is omniscient (as much as he would like people to think otherwise).

Sometimes, it might feel that otherwise because some beings and even people are truly masterful when it comes to reading body language, observing patterns, and picking up on cues. Still, no matter how much it might seem like someone can read someone else’s mind, they can’t. It is literally impossible — and I will briefly expound on that in just a moment.

KEEP READINGShow less
LATEST POSTS