According to Halle Berry, California governor Gavin Newsom has “overlooked” the women of America by vetoing the menopause bill that she backs.
The Cloud Atlas star also stated that Newsom should not be the US president. “Our culture thinks that at 59 years old, I am past my prime, and that women my age start to become invisible in Hollywood, in the workplace, on social media,” Berry said at the Dealbook Summit Wednesday.
In her speech, the founder of the menopause care company Respin, Hollywood actress and filmmaker, lamented how women are viewed in Hollywood and corporate America. Berry criticized Gavin Newsom for vetoing a menopause bill she backed. Moreover, the Monster’s Ball actress called for women to take back control of their health and treatment.
“At this stage in my life, I have zero f***s left to give,” Berry said to the audience at the event in New York.
However, some of her comments about Newsom shocked the audience, after revealing her lobbying in Washington and around the US for menopause bills to support education and research about women’s health.
“Back in my great state of California, my very own governor, Gavin Newsom, has vetoed our menopause bill, not one, but two years in a row,” Berry said. “But that’s okay, because he’s not going to be governor forever, and the way he has overlooked women, half the population, by devaluing us, he probably should not be our next president either. Just saying.”
Ironically, Gavin Newsom was scheduled to appear at the Dealbook Summit later in the afternoon. Meanwhile, Berry’s speech entertained the audience with observations about her career, personal anecdotes from her childhood, as well as her work as a philanthropist and activist.
Halle Berry speaks out against Gavin Newsome.
“That’s okay, because he’s not going to be governor forever, and the way he has overlooked women—half the population—by devaluing us, he probably should not be our next president either. Just saying.” pic.twitter.com/Q4xvLu8Cx7
— Paratrooper Brady (@paratroopbrady) December 4, 2025
“As a founder, I’m building for myself what I wish I had 10 years ago with the knowing that it’s going to help generations and generations to come,” the Gothika actress said.
“In 2025 there is a lot to still be talked about and discovered and uncovered, especially if you are a woman who is navigating midlife and thoughtfully considering your longevity, because in 2025 I, Halle Berry, and women of my age are simply devalued in this country,” Berry said. “Our culture thinks that at 59 years old, I am past my prime, and that women my age start to become invisible in Hollywood, in the workplace, on social media.
Women are pressured to stay forever 35. We’re complimented if we seem to be aging backwards or defying gravity, as if that’s even possible, and if we somehow manage to look younger than our years, it’s suggested that’s the gold standard that our worth should be measured by.”
“We’re encouraged to contort our bodies and our faces in truly extreme ways to chase this elusive fountain of youth,” she added. “And sadly, I have to admit, I too, feel this pressure every single day. I feel that pressure to change myself in order to stay seen relevant and desirable.”
Speaking of her childhood in Cleveland, Ohio, Berry recalled being bullied and beaten up by kids as she left the school bus. “As they walked off laughing, I was left to pick myself up shirtless out of the gutter. And I did that, but I was humiliated, because I had allowed myself to be treated this way. I made the choice to accept it,” Berry said. “I didn’t tell anybody. When they told me they were going to beat the shit out of me, I just said, okay, I deserve it. I guess I’m just going to take it. I have no choice.”
“But as I was walking home, I said, no. I’m never going to allow this to happen to me again,” she continued. “I’m never not going to stand up for myself. I’ll never allow myself to be a victim like that, and since I was in the sixth grade, I have never allowed myself to be misused or abused or mistreated in any way.”
