Niecy Nash & Wife Jessica Betts Were Friends for Years Before Tying the Knot — See Their Tributes

Niecy Nash Comes Out as She Announces Marriage to Singer Jessica Betts: 'Love Wins'

PLUS: Niecy Nash & Wife Jessica Betts Were Friends for Years Before Tying the Knot — See Their Tributes

Before tying the knot in a surprise wedding, Niecy Nash and Jessica Betts had long been friends.

On Monday, the newlyweds announced on their respective Instagram accounts that they had said "I do." But years before their relationship turned romantic, the pair had formed a close bond.

Back in 2016, Betts, a musician, posted a clip to Instagram of her now-wife Nash raving about her music.

"Jessica Betts is an artist that feeds your soul," Nash, 50, said in the clip. "Get into it. I love you, Jessica!" the actress added.

"So excited about my next #BettsProject! I asked a few friends to join me on this one! Special thanks to @NiecyNash1 for being such an inspiration," Betts captioned the clip.

Two years later, on June 13, 2018, Betts shared another video of herself and Nash together on the set of Claws.

Jessica Betts/instagram Niecy Nash and Jessica Betts

"When you get to hang out on set with your homegirl," Nash said before the two burst into laughter. "Love me some @JessicaBettsMusic," Nash wrote atop the footage, which was originally posted to her Instagram Story.

A few months later, in August of that year, Betts posted another video of the two together on the set of Claws singing her song "Catch Me." In the clip, Nash wore a wedding gown from when her character, Desna Simms, got married on the season 2 finale.

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"I want to give a special shout to @NiecyNash1," Betts began in the caption. "This woman of God, I'm honored and blessed in her presence. She's anointed an appointed. She singin my tune, #CatchMe Link in bio. Thanks Cora! This is for YOU #ClawsTNT #bettsofbothworlds #seasonfinale #waitforit."

Betts also wished Nash a happy birthday this past February, sharing a photo from the semi-nude shoot Nash did for her milestone year.

"Happy Birthday to a Real One 👽💫 @niecynash1 #Nicenails 😁," Betts captioned the tribute.

Nash and Betts announced their marriage on Monday, both sharing a photo from their wedding day.

"Mrs. Carol Denise Betts 💍 @jessicabettsmusic #LoveWins🌈 📸 @robertector," Nash captioned a photo of herself and Betts walking hand-in-hand down the aisle.

"I got a whole Wife 👽💍 @niecynash1 #Bettsofbothworlds #LoveWins," Betts wrote.

The pair wed in an outdoor ceremony, underneath a tree that was adorned with flowers.

Nash additionally shared Betts' "Catch Me" song on her Instagram Story, which she followed with a photo of the pair standing side-by-side.

"#PlotTwist," Nash wrote atop the photo with a rainbow emoji.

The wedding comes nearly a year after her divorce filing from husband Jay Tucker in December 2019. In the documents, obtained by PEOPLE, Nash listed the couple’s date of separation as June 1, 2019, three days after their eight-year wedding anniversary.

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In March, Nash opened up to PEOPLE about being newly single and celebrating her 50th birthday with an empowering semi-nude photo shoot.

“I was coming up on my 50th trip around the sun, and I was like, ‘We need to document this. I want to take some pictures and really cement this occasion,' ” said Nash of opting to strip down in front of the camera.

She said the shoot served as an expression of how she is feeling these days. “I have never been better in my life,” she said. (Nash shares three children — Dia, 20, Donielle, 25, and son Dominic, 28 — with her first ex-husband, Pastor Don Nash.) “There is something about knowing exactly who you are and curating a life that brings you joy every day.”

“I felt I was becoming for a while,” she said, “and now the things that I was becoming, have manifest. I’m out of the cocoon. I’ve got my wings.”