Halle Berry Has Harsh Words For Gavin Newsom Vetoing Menopause Bills
The legislation to increase menopause medical care and coverage had bipartisan support.
Halle Berry is speaking up about menopause and healthcare equity for women — and her convictions don’t discriminate by political party. The A-list actor spoke at the New York Times DealBook Summit this week in New York to passionately advocate for better perimenopause and menopause awareness and care, especially on the legislative level.
Berry, who is 59, talked about the importance of caring for women as they age in a culture and a society that would rather see them become invisible.
And she specifically talked about her political activism surrounding menopause care across the country — and how she’s faced roadblocks in her home state.
“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.”
She didn’t stop there, suggesting that his actions to bring down the bipartisan bills should be a sign that he’s not fit for the Oval Office.
“And with the way he’s overlooked women — half the population — by devaluing us in mid-life, he probably should not be our next president either,” Berry said. “Just saying.”
California lawmakers have passed the Menopause Care Equity Act in both 2024 and 2025 — a bill that would have required health insurance plans and policies to cover perimenopause and menopause evaluation and treatment, such as prescription drugs. But although the bipartisan bill has reached Newsom’s desk twice, he’s refused to sign.
He has stated that the bill was “too far-reaching” and might result in higher general healthcare costs.
Currently, 13 states have passed or advanced menopause equity laws of some sort, including Illinois, Washington State, and Louisiana among them. Halle Berry has been active in these efforts across the country.
In some states, the focus is on insurance coverage. In others, it’s on requirements that health professionals learn about menopause — a topic historically overlooked in medical school and nursing school.
“I need every woman in this country to fight with me,” Berry continued in her talk at DealBook. “But the truth is, the fight isn’t for just us women. We need men too. We need all of the leaders. Every single one of you in this room. This fight needs you. We need you to stay curious. We need you to ask questions. We need you to care.... because when women are struggling silently through perimenopause and menopause, trying to hold their families, careers, relationships, and communities together, it doesn’t just effect women, it effects every household. It effects the workplace. It effects the economy.”
