Women over 40 are making starting over after heartbreak look good! Celebrities like Tia Mowry, Meagan Good, Eva Marcille and more are proving to fans that being a mature single woman does not have to look like doom and gloom.
Instead, these women and countless others are proof that tapping into their sexy can happen at any stage of life. Experts say things like embracing bright colors, especially seductive red, taking care of your needs on all levels, indulge in shopping so that you can look and feel your best, are just a few of the ways women can tap back into that sexy mindset even when they don’t have a special someone.
Each of the women below have nailed those pointers and more. Take a look!
Tia Mowry (45, Divorced in 2023)
The “Sister Sister” star shocked fans when she announced in October 2022 that her marriage of 14 years to actor Cory Hardrict was over. “I have always been honest with my fans, and today is no different. I wanted to share that Cory and I have decided to go our separate ways,” she wrote in an Instagram post alongside a black-and-white photo of herself and Hardrict. They quietly settled their divorce and details of a co-parenting plan for their two children, son Cree and daughter Cairo, six months later.
Since embracing her newfound freedom, Mowry has been transparent about the struggles of dating and finding new ways to honor herself. Her followers have also witnessed an evolution in her social media presence. The once-buttoned-up mother has ushered in a “soft feminine girl era” complete with sexy bodysuits, miniskirts, flirty lace and sequined outfits, and sexy, cheeky bathing suit photos. At the top of 2024, she announced, “Get ready for the most genuine, fun, unapologetic version of myself!”
Meagan Good (42, Divorced in 2022)
The “Harlem” actress shed her husband of nearly a decade, DeVon Franklin, and a few layers of clothing after announcing the news of a separation in December 2021. Good endured years of scrutiny from Christian critics who felt her curve-hugging outfits were too sexy for her to be on the arm of Franklin, a pastor and Hollywood executive.
In 2012, she told Just Fab, “I’m getting sexy and all that, but there is a way to do it, there is a classy way to do everything, and there is nothing wrong with being sexy or having sex appeal, and I think that I am definitely going to be someone who is boldly going to go out to the masses and be someone who say, ‘Look! Women, it’s OK to do this, that and the other.’”
Now, more than a year removed from the divorce being finalized, Good can sometimes be spotted in tow with her beau Jonathan Majors, whom she has yet to Instagram official after more than six months together, and on social media, reminding fans why she was an “it” girl throughout the late ’90s and early 2000s. From her bikini-clad shoots, seductive videos flipping her hair and giving a glimpse at her curves, or showing off her toned physique in leggings, the star has returned to her pre-marriage form: “Ms. Good if ya nasty.”
Mariah Carey (54, Breakup in 2023)
The Diva extraordinaire has long been known to flaunt a dress that shows off her legs, but as a newly single woman, Mariah Carey is showing off her impressive weight loss. Carey and her now-former fiancé, Bryan Tanaka, split recently.
“With mixed emotions, I share this personal update regarding my amicable separation from Mariah Carey after seven extraordinary years together,” he wrote in a December 2023 Instagram post. The singer confirmed her relationship with the backup dancer in 2017. Rumors that they split surfaced in November when fans noticed he was not part of her “Merry Christmas One and All!” tour.
Carey has not skipped a beat since news of the breakup was publicized. In fact, Carey has managed to bounce back from each of the relationships that made it into the spotlight. She divorced her first husband and music executive Tommy Mottola in 1998 after five years of marriage. She then married Nick Cannon in the midst of their whirlwind romance in 2008. They welcomed twins, Moroccan and Monroe, in 2011 before divorcing in 2016. All the while, her signature style remained.
Tracey Edmonds (56, Ended engagement in 2023)
After a five-year engagement and more than a decade together, Tracey Edmonds announced it was time she focus on herself after splitting from Deion Sanders. The film producer said she was looking forward to a future “where I am valued, treated with honesty, and free to embrace the happiness and respect I deserve.”
A look at her social media presence and it seems not much has changed in her life, as far as the story being told in photos goes. The mother of two has, however, ramped up her time in front of the camera with the launch of her YouTube channel, where she dishes on style, health, home decor and how she has turned a Hilton Head residence into the perfect getaway home. What fans won’t find on her Instagram account are images of her ex.
As for her style, Edmonds continues to turn heads without showing too much skin. It seems she has not bought into the practice of posting thirst traps to make Sanders jealous.
Eva Marcille (39, Divorced in 2023)
The “America’s Next Top Model” alum pulled the plug on her four-year marriage last March. It was finalized in August with neither her or ex-husband Michael Sterling seeking spousal support. A custody agreement for their two sons was also ironed out privately.
After a decade off the market, Marcille has managed to effortlessly tap into her modeling skills with photos proving she may be out of touch with the dating scene, but her fashion choices remain top tier.
When it comes to her appearance, fans have been vocal about the drastic weight loss she has experienced. The actress has not publicly addressed if a health concern is at the root of her new look or just a lifestyle change. Either way, with the writers and actors strikes over, she is peak shape for her leading role on “All the Queen’s Men.”
Jodie Turner Smith (37, separated in 2023)
Jodie is in the midst of a divorce from husband Joshua Jackson after four years of marriage. She filed her petition in September 2023 and has hardly been spotted without a smile plastered on her face since then.
The former couple reportedly reached a custody agreement giving both parents shared legal custody of their daughter two months after the filing. Joshua has been spotted canoodling with actress Lupita N’yongo as he rebounds from the failed romance. Jodie, on the other hand, has not been publicly linked to anyone new.
However, online it is apparent her ex is removed from her life as her posts no longer highlight them, but instead focus on stunning solo snaps of her at various events. She has never shied away from showing skin, even posing nude during her pregnancy, and, well, she remains confident in showing her snatched waist as a single woman.
Lupita Nyong’o (40, Breakup in 2023)
Fans and the “Black Panther” star thought she had found the one when she went public with her relationship to musician Selema Masekela in December 2022. The actress went from posting photos from travels, moments on set and more to sharing sweet times she shared with Masekela.
But that all changed when she suddenly announced their breakup last year in October. Following the split, she posted about adopting a cat, leading some to think the heartache was taking a toll on her. She proved otherwise when she shared a video wearing little shorts and a crop top as she winded her waist to Janelle Monae’s “Lipsitck Lover.”
Additional photos show her in good spirits, reflecting on her travels, and announcing new gigs like role as Berlin Film Festival judge in December. Paparazzi have also managed to catch her getting chummy with Joshua Smith, estranged husband of actress Jodie Turner Smith.
Tina Knowles (70, Separated in 2023)
Tina Knowles has been there and done that when it comes to divorce, so it is no wonder that the 70-year-old makes being single look good. Knowles is in the midst of finalizing her divorce from actor Richard Lawson. They were married for eight years before news of their separation was confirmed via her divorce filing in July 2023.
Instead of sitting around broken-hearted, she jetted around the globe with Beyoncé for the Renaissance World Tour. Knowles was spotted looking her best and grooving at various of the concerts. The entrepreneur has kept her lips painted red and her honey-blond tresses styled, and a smile on her face now that fans know she is no longer tethered to her second husband.
She gave him something to miss in November she showed her curves in Beyoncé’s red-sequined stage costume that showed off her small waist, hips, and legs. “I was very much in shock that it fit me except Tim White had to add 4 inches to the bust,” she wrote in a post showing off photos of her looking show ready.
Knowles previously tapped into her sexy side after divorcing Matthew Knowles in 2011. She seemingly underwent a few nip tucks to her face and body in a reported mommy makeover to boost her spirits.
Cynthia Bailey (56, Divorced in 2022)
The former “Real Housewives of Atlanta” peach holder has been single since separating from ex-husband Mike Hill in 2022. Their divorce was finalized by December that year. While their romance and wedding planning played out for viewers, the end of the relationship did not.
As a result, her supporters have had to check out life after divorce online. One thing Bailey has not been doing is sitting around feeling sorry for herself. The model has kept a gig lined up. One of the first was joining the Seagrams Escapes family with five-year deal.
She has also delved into acting, landing roles in the anthology series “Terror Lake Drive: Single Black Female,” on “BMF,” and a role in the Lifetime film “Cruel Instruction.” She is also staying in her modeling bag pulling off a series of stunning shoots with photographer and creative director Derek Blanks.
