Naomi Watts had “great sex” with husband Billy Crudup after showing him the oestrogen patches she was wearing as she dealt with early menopause.

The ‘21 Grams’ actress, 54, got hitched to ‘Watchmen’ star Billy, 55, on 9 June in a low-key ceremony and Naomi said despite them now enjoying great romps, she was crippled by nerves when they started dating as she thought her patches would be a turn off for the actor.

She said at an event called ‘Unlocking Intimacy: Navigating Passion in Midlife’ held in the Canoe Place Inn and Cottages in Hampton Bays on Thursday (31.08.23): “If you can talk to your partner, if you can be honest and have a really authentic conversation and take away the awkwardness… they will be empathetic and that’s hot.

“I was nervous that my new lover was going to see (my menopause oestrogen patches.)

“I went into the bathroom just before it would start and I’d be in there (scrubbing it off) and then I’d come out.

“And my gorgeous partner said, ‘Are you OK? Is everything OK?’”

Naomi went through menopause when she was in her 30s, and went on to credit Billy for knowing “how to behave” once she “brought honesty into the room despite how awkward and hard” it felt talking about the impact of her condition.

She said: “He knew what cues to follow. He was 100 per cent empathetic and I can safely say we went on to have, you know, pretty great sex that night.”

Naomi also said it was important for her to keep “leaning into” her current phase of life, and acknowledge “a lot of women are horny at this age”.

When asked at the event what her favourite sex position is, Naomi said: “On top, underneath! Right now I’m not fussy.”