Halle Berry is not holding back — and she made that clear onstage at The New York Times’ DealBook Summit on Wednesday (Dec. 3). The Oscar winner and menopause advocate used her platform to call out how women in midlife are treated across industries and to openly criticize California governor Gavin Newsom for twice rejecting legislation she championed.
During her remarks, Berry addressed the Menopause Care Equity Act, a bill designed to expand insurance coverage for menopause-related care and require physicians to receive specialized training. She called out Newsom for vetoing it two years in a row. Speaking directly to the crowd, Berry said, “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. But that’s okay, 'cause he’s not going to be governor forever, and with the way he’s overlooked women — half the population — by devaluing us in midlife, he probably should not be our next president either… just saying.”
The Kidnap actress didn’t mince words about the broader cultural forces at play, either. “In 2025 I, Halle Berry, and women of my age are simply devalued in this country,” she 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.” She added that women are told they must “stay forever 35" and admitted she still feels pressure “to stay seen, relevant and desirable.” However, Berry stayed steadfast in her rejection of this idea. “As long as I let my worth be defined by my physical self, I am in a losing battle,” she affirmed. “Because the truth is, we cannot turn back father time. And guess what? We shouldn’t have to.”
Her speech also wove in a childhood memory of being beaten up in Cleveland, Ohio. “As they walked off laughing, I was left to pick myself up, shirtless out of the gutter,” she said, later adding, “I’m never not going to stand up for myself.”
As the speech wrapped up, Berry told the audience, “At this stage of my life, I have zero f**ks left to give.” Newsom, who appeared at the same summit later that afternoon, has not publicly responded.
How Halle Berry is reshaping menopause care through Respin Health
Earlier this year, Berry relaunched Respin Health — the wellness brand she founded in 2020 — into a fully menopause-focused website. In an exclusive with WWD, she said, “It’s a new spin on what this is and what this means to women’s health,” describing its AI-powered tools, symptom tracking and one-on-one coaching. The rebrand reflects her broader mission: to normalize menopause, close knowledge gaps, and give women access to evidence-based, tech-forward support during midlife.