Halle Berry delivered a powerful political statement on December 3 that targeted both Hollywood culture and a major political figure: California Governor Gavin Newsom. The Oscar winner and founder of the menopause care company Respin used her platform at The New York Times Dealbook Summit to critique the treatment of women, tying her activism directly to a moment of empowerment.
Berry layered her talk with personal context, explaining that her resolve stems from a traumatic childhood incident. Recounting a time when she was bullied and physically assaulted after school, she spoke about the feeling of humiliation and passive acceptance: “I didn’t tell anybody. When they told me they were going to beat [...] me, I just said, okay, I deserve it. I guess I’m just going to take it. I have no choice.”
The experience, which left her "shirtless out of the gutter," served as a turning point that shaped her adult life and activism. “But as I was walking home, I said, no. I’m never going to allow this to happen to me again,” she asserted. “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.” The determination for self-advocacy drives her current work.
Berry’s fight for women's autonomy culminated in a critique of her own state’s governor over his repeated rejection of women’s health legislation. The actress had lobbied for the menopause bill, which sought to expand research and education for women’s midlife 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 announced. Her follow-up comments on Newsom’s future—that he "probably should not be our next president either" — drew attention, particularly since he is scheduled to appear at the same summit. She bookended her uncompromising stance with a declaration of newfound political freedom: “At this stage in my life, I have zero fucks left to give.”
At the time of the veto, Newsom’s office provided context for the veto of AB 432, citing cost and affordability as the central issue. The Governor stated he “cannot sign this bill” because its expansive coverage mandates, coupled with a prohibition on utilization management (UM)—practices health plans use to contain costs—were “too far-reaching.” A spokesperson clarified that the bill, as written, would have unintentionally raised health care costs for millions of working women. Newsom, however, directed his state agency to find alternative policy solutions for the next budget cycle.
Berry connected the political snub to a larger cultural phenomenon: the devaluing of women in midlife. “In 2025 I, Halle Berry, and women of my age are simply devalued in this country,” Berry stated. “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 focused on the intense pressure women face to appear youthful: “Women are pressured to stay forever 35... I feel that pressure to change myself in order to stay seen, relevant and desirable.” Her speech was a call to action for women to take control of their health and their narrative, demanding that policymakers prioritize women's longevity.
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