It’s been over three decades since Jessica Biel first got her period – but now, at the age of 42, she’s finally comfortable talking about it.

In a video posted to Instagram, the 7th Heaven actress shared her recollections about her first period – admitting that, despite learning about it, she was still ‘so scared’ when it actually happened.

‘Today I want to talk about something that not a lot of people talk about, which is crazy because it happens to 50 per cent of the population,’  Jessica explained in a video posted to Instagram.

‘And, still, in 2024, [we are] having a hard time destigmatizing this… your period, right? I think it’s just important to normalize this thing,’ she pointed out.

It’s been over three decades since Jessica Biel first got her period – and at 42, she’s now comfortable talking about it

In a video posted to Instagram, the the 7th Heaven actress shared the story of her first period – admitted despite learning about it, she was still ‘so scared’ when it actually happened

The actress (pictured as a child) said even as a woman in her 40s, she still finds herself trying to hide the fact she has her period

The mom who shares sons Silas, eight, and Phineas, three, with husband Justin Timberlake, recalled the first time she got her period when she was 11 years old and starring in a play.

‘It was the morning of my play in school… I was like 11 years old, and I was playing the grandfather character, which was one of the best characters of the show,’ the Golden Globe award winner, who was seen applying her makeup as she told her story, said.

‘I was so scared,’ she admitted, saying she was convinced something was wrong with her.

‘I locked myself in the bathroom. I was crying hysterically, I called my mom. I told her, you know, “something’s wrong,”‘ Jessica said in the clip.

‘That’s what I felt, I felt like something was wrong with me,’ she continued. ‘Even though she had prepared me, I wasn’t prepared.’

She added that she felt a great amount of ‘shame’ when she got her period, and felt as though she had to hide it from the world.

‘Getting your period, it’s so hard when you’re trying to hide it and you feel embarrassed about it, and you feel ashamed by it, which is the way I felt when I first got my period,’ she shared.

The actress said even as a woman in her 40s, she still finds herself trying to hide the fact she has her period.

‘I’m still hiding tampons up my sleeve as I scurry away to the bathroom, which is insane. You should not feel that way at 42,’ she said adamantly.

Jessica said she ended up performing in the play, admitting she was surprised she could still go about her day – period and all.

The mom to sons Silas, eight, and Phineas, three, recalled the first time she got her period when she was 11 years

Jessica said when she got her period she locked myself in the bathroom, ‘crying hysterically.’ ‘I called my mom. I told her, you know, “something’s wrong,”‘ Jessica said in the clip

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Jessica’s video was flooded with comments from fellow women thanking the actress for her candid post

‘I ended up doing my play, my mom helped me out, hooked me up,’ she assured her followers.

‘I managed to do everything I needed to do that day and still have my period, so pass that around,’ she concluded her video.

Jessica joked in the caption it was  ‘the story you all were waiting for’ – but with a serious undertone.

‘Can we talk about this?? Periods are cool!’ she wrote.

Jessica’s video was flooded with comments from fellow women thanking the actress for her candid post.

‘The most impressive part of this is that you got your period that day and still managed to do everything that you had to do! Women don’t get enough credit for still doing what we have to do on a regular basis while in pain, let alone all of the ups and downs of emotions that we sometimes experience every month. Women are so incredibly tough!’ one follower exclaimed.

‘Go to the target to get tampons. Buy 5 things to cover up box in the cart. It’s ridiculous how we hide it,’ shared someone else.

‘Love that you’re talking about this,’ gushed another.

‘Wow way to go! Thanks for being open about such a hush hush topic,’ agreed another.