Key Takeaways
- The couple’s backyard celebration featured a full New Orleans-style parade with brass bands and dancers.
- Guests enjoyed Louisiana classics like gumbo, crawfish étouffée and a signature cocktail called “Simply the Betts.”
- The Mardi Gras theme honored the city where Niecy and Jessica’s love story began, adding personal meaning to the festivities.
Niecy Nash-Betts and Jessica Betts know how to throw a party. On Saturday (Aug. 30), the actress and her wife hosted a Mardi Gras–themed celebration at their Los Angeles home to honor five years of marriage, complete with New Orleans food, festive décor and plenty of beads.
“We fell in love in New Orleans,” Niecy told PEOPLE, explaining why the couple leaned into the city’s culture for their anniversary. Guests, including Ava DuVernay, Jenifer Lewis, Kym Whitley and Angie Beyincé, were greeted with a photo booth stocked with masks and “Krewe of Betts” signs before heading into a backyard decorated with purple, green and gold balloons.
According to the magazine, the party featured three food stations highlighting Louisiana favorites. There were charcuterie spreads, chicken gumbo, crawfish étouffée, red beans and rice, and a massive seafood boil loaded with snow crab legs, shrimp and corn. At the bar, one of the signature drinks was fittingly named “Simply the Betts.” Later, a brass band, dancers and a Zulu Tramp performance turned the yard into a full-on New Orleans parade.
The couple’s anniversary also gave them a chance to reflect on their wedding day in 2020, which took place in the same backyard. Because of the pandemic, just 24 guests were present, all of whom had to take a COVID test before entering.
“We had a time. We danced all night. It was beautiful,” Niecy told the publication about their anniversary celebration. Jessica added, “What better way to have our fifth right here, in the place that we said our vows for forever.”
From ally to “card-carrying member”
Niecy has been open about how her marriage to Betts has reshaped her personal journey. In June, she told “TODAY with Jenna & Friends” that she never expected to be part of the LGBTQ+ community.
“I was adjacent. I was an ally, but now I’m a card-carrying member,” she said. Reflecting on her past marriages to men, she explained, “I don’t think it’s about the gender that makes it special. It’s just, I met my soulmate.”