On December 3, 2025, the usually staid halls of The New York Times’ DealBook Summit were jolted by a moment of celebrity candor that quickly rippled through political and health advocacy circles alike. Halle Berry, the Oscar-winning actress and founder of Respin Health, took the stage not merely to talk about Hollywood or entrepreneurship, but to deliver a pointed critique of California Governor Gavin Newsom—one that might echo into the 2028 presidential race.
Berry, 59, has lately become a forceful advocate for women’s health, especially menopause care, a topic she says is too often pushed aside in both medicine and society. Her advocacy found a new urgency after Newsom, for the second year in a row, vetoed the Menopause Care Equity Act (AB 432) in October 2025. The bill, which Berry has championed, would have required health insurers in California to expand coverage for menopause and perimenopause treatments and mandated specialized training for healthcare providers. It also called for a comprehensive federal review of menopause research, gaps in care, and a new strategic plan for advancing women’s health in midlife.
“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 told the DealBook audience, according to Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter. The crowd, filled with business leaders and political insiders, was stunned—especially as Berry continued, “But 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 remarks weren’t just a passing swipe; they were a full-throated rebuke of Newsom’s leadership on women’s health and a warning shot at his widely rumored presidential ambitions. Newsom, who was scheduled to speak at the same event later that day, has indicated in interviews—including one with CBS News in October—that he’s considering a run for the White House in 2028, depending on the outcome of the 2026 midterm elections. His potential candidacy has already attracted the attention (and support) of Hollywood power players, but Berry’s comments suggest that not all in the industry are on board.
The Menopause Care Equity Act, introduced by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, was designed to address what advocates see as a glaring gap in health coverage and research for women in midlife. The bill would have mandated insurance companies to expand coverage for menopause and perimenopause treatments, required the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct a sweeping review of research and funding on the subject, and called for new studies on the causes, symptoms, and best treatments for menopause. It even required the NIH to submit a strategic plan to Congress within six months of the bill’s enactment, mapping out how to close research gaps and improve care in collaboration with specialists from gynecology, endocrinology, and cardiology.
Berry, who founded Respin Health to “revolutionize menopause care,” has made it her mission to bring these issues to the forefront. At the summit, she spoke passionately about the pressures women face as they age, both in Hollywood and beyond. “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, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. “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.”
Newsom, for his part, has not shied away from explaining his vetoes. In an official statement from October, he wrote, “I strongly support the author’s goal of ensuring quality care and access to evaluation and treatment of perimenopause and menopause symptoms. However, these factors, along with a lack of clarity in AB 432 regarding undefined terms, still raise significant cost and implementation concerns.” He elaborated further, arguing that the bill’s “expansive coverage mandate, in conjunction with a prohibition on utilization management, is too far-reaching.” Newsom insisted that such mandates could “limit the ability of health plans to engage in practices that have been shown to ensure appropriate care while limiting unnecessary costs.”
His stance highlights a classic tension in health policy: the desire to expand care and address overlooked populations, weighed against the realities of cost control and insurance management. Supporters of the bill, like Berry, argue that failing to address menopause care is itself a costly oversight, both for women’s health and for society at large. Detractors, including Newsom, counter that sweeping mandates can inadvertently drive up premiums and make insurance less flexible or affordable.
Berry’s criticism, though, wasn’t just about policy details; it was about what the veto signaled to women. “With the way he’s overlooked women, half the population, by devaluing us in midlife, he probably should not be our next president either,” she said, according to Deadline. Her remarks resonated with many in the audience, especially as she tied the issue to broader societal patterns of undervaluing women as they age.
Newsom, who took the stage after Berry at the DealBook Summit, didn’t directly address her comments, but he did pivot to his familiar role as a top Democratic critic of former President Donald Trump. According to The Times, Newsom mocked Trump’s social media strategy with biting satire, quipping, “There’s nothing normal about this. He’s a man child.”
For Berry, the fight for better menopause care is personal and political. She’s used her platform to shine a light on what she calls a culture of invisibility for women in midlife. “At this stage in my life, I have zero f–ks left to give,” she told the crowd, drawing laughter and a few gasps. Her message: women deserve better—from Hollywood, from healthcare, and from their leaders.
As the 2028 presidential race slowly takes shape, Berry’s public challenge to Newsom may be an early sign that women’s health—and the way politicians address it—will be a defining issue. For now, the debate over the Menopause Care Equity Act remains a flashpoint, with Berry and her allies vowing to keep pressing for change, even as Newsom and others weigh the costs and consequences of sweeping health reforms.
In the swirl of celebrity, politics, and health advocacy, Berry’s words at the DealBook Summit have sparked a conversation that’s likely to grow louder in the years to come. The question now is whether leaders like Newsom will listen—and whether voters will remember.
