Kaley Cuoco Says 'It's Ok to Not be Ok' in Candid Birthday Post After Karl Cook Split

It's Kaley Cuoco's party and she can cry if she wants to.

The Big Bang Theory alum turned 36 on Tuesday, and she marked the occasion with a candid Instagram post about the emotional struggles she's been facing as of late.

"Sometimes it's okay to not feel totally okay. Even on ur bday," Cuoco wrote in a since-expired Instagram story.

But looking on the bright side, the actress said the highlight of her celebration was the people around her. "I have the greatest fam and friends there ever was."

Cuoco's story included something else she loves: animals. She posed with a horse and added that the birthday trip to the stables was helpful in cheering her up. "A quick stop by the barn for some magical pony kisses always helps."

Cuoco's candid message comes just three months after she announced her divorce from husband Karl Cook. In a statement to PEOPLE in September, Cuoco and Cook, 30, said there was "no anger or animosity" between them as they went their separate ways.

"Despite a deep love and respect for one another, we have realized that our current paths have taken us in opposite directions," they wrote. "We have both shared so much of our journey publicly so while we would prefer to keep this aspect of our personal life private, we wanted to be forthcoming in our truth together. There is no anger or animosity, quite the contrary."

At the time, a source told PEOPLE that their split came as a surprise to even those closest to them.

"In the beginning of the summer, Kaley seemed very happy with Karl. They were affectionate and seemed great," the source said. "The split seems very sudden. It's pretty shocking."