Halle Berry slammed California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) at a Wednesday event, calling his approach to women’s issues proof he’s unfit to be president.
The actor and menopause advocate didn’t hold back during The New York Times Dealbook Summit, where The Hollywood Reporter said she told audiences, “At this stage in my life, I have zero fucks left to give.”
Calling out the governor for repeatedly squashing the bipartisan-backed Menopause Care Equity Act, 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.”
California’s Menopause Care Equity Act would have ensured evidence-based menopause treatments were covered by insurance, but Newsom vetoed the law, citing the limits it would put on providers.
Halle Berry skewered Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) during the 2025 New York Times Dealbook Summit on Wednesday.
Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
She wasn’t sweating it, however, telling the audience, “That’s OK, 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.”
Berry’s remark was a pointed dig at the self-confessed 2028 presidential hopeful, who just happened to be scheduled to appear at the summit later that afternoon.
During her appearance, the Oscar-winner also reflected on how society’s pressure for women to be youthful forever left many without answers about aging’s effect on health and symptoms of menopause.
“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,” the “X-Men” actor said. “Because in 2025 I, Halle Berry, and women of my age are simply devalued in this country.”
Newsom, here at the same summit later that day, has been open about his presidential ambitions.
Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
Skewering the idea that women lose their worth as they age, Berry added, “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,” she continued. “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.”
Earlier this year, Berry launched the holistic menopause care company Respin as a way to support her advocacy.
Describing itself as “a resource for women in the midst of menopause, on the cusp of it, or preparing for it,” Respin’s mission is to team scientifically-backed treatment methods with community support and “help women embrace this natural transition with curiosity, wonder, and excitement.”
