Page 16 - Woman's Weekly - New Zealand (January 2020)

t was a problem faced by process with not enough sleep often spotted on coffee runs She’s gone
many women that first made and being resilient for the sake together in New York. down the therapy
INaomi Watts truly consider of determination. Now I have “Having a good relationship route – “I’ve
the inevitabilities of ageing. to force myself to not operate has always been our endgame,” definitely... got
While making the TV series like that, and give myself a she says. “We’ve put a lot of some proper help
Gypsy in 2016, the British- break and let myself admit energy and effort into making at points of crisis,”
Australian beauty first noticed that I’m not going to be on that so. It’s not always a cake- as she calls it,
something wasn’t right with her my game at all times.” walk, as they say in America, referring to a
skin – 16-hour days, hot lights Naomi’s certainly been but it makes absolute sense, chaotic child-
and multiple re-applications of through the emotional wringer because it really matters to the hood where her
make-up had wrought chaos on in the last few years – the King children. You can see how there father, a sound
her face, and she was dealing Kong star split with longtime are so many things that can engineer for Pink
with a severe case of rosacea. partner Liev Schreiber in 2016 make a kid feel anxious, and Floyd, died of a
In that moment the actress after 11 years together. While knowing that their parents heroin overdose,
found herself pondering the divorce was of course tough, can be in the same room, and and she moved
implications that were more Naomi says she’s “pretty proud” joyfully, means a lot to them.” frequently with her mother
than skin deep. “I think for of their continued friendship, As well as thinking of her kids, around England and Wales,
many women, from their mid- and how they’re parenting Naomi has also recently been ending up in Australia.
40s, life can become more children Sasha (12) and Kai (11). putting a lot of effort into her- Though she generally feels on
complicated – [because of] “We’re doing things very self – both aesthetically, and an even keel today, Naomi says
ageing, hormones, anxiety, sleep, differently,” she nods. “We’ve entrepreneurially. Not only has she’s going through the same
the whole thing,” she tells. made it our absolute priority she put in some of her best issues any 51-year-old woman
“We get more vulnerable. We to be good and kind to each performances of late – her suffers through – including
get more delicate and fragile as other and we’re absolutely role as Gretchen Carlson in the onset of menopause,
we face our mortality. I know it’s committed to that.” miniseries The Loudest Voice has describing it as a “journey”.
dark thinking, but it’s honest. Though she’s now happily been critically lauded – Naomi’s “Menopause should not be
“The idea we’re invincible in a relationship with fellow also branched out into business, a dirty word. It’s such a shame
– that’s long gone in my world. I actor Billy Crudup (51), Naomi helping to found ONDA, a that society has made it so,”
definitely operated on that level and Liev (52) still spend time “clean beauty” brand. she tells. “We need support
of thinking for a long time, and together – both with and “I’m 51 and I haven’t spent from each other, and not made
possibly abused myself in the without their kids – and are a lifetime looking after my skin,” to feel like unsexy, infertile,
she says, referencing Australia’s crabby old ladies that should
harsh climate. But what she and be sent out to pasture.
her business partners quickly “We actually have wisdom
realised is that, along with a and compassion that far
growing desire for natural outweighs youthful arrogance.
products, women in their 40s Along with some mood swings
and 50s were looking for a and floods of tears on the side.”
chance to “recalibrate” – just Amen! #
like Naomi herself was. Vivienne Archer

She may be in a relationship
now with Billy (above), but
Naomi and Liev (far right)
always put their sons, Sasha
(inset back) and Kai (inset
front) first.