Halle Berry called out California Gov. Gavin Newsom while delivering a speech about how women are viewed in Hollywood and across America.
Berry took the stage at the Dealbook Summit Wednesday and spoke about how women are “devalued,” particularly after they reach a certain age. The “Catwoman” star drew gasps from the audience while making her pointed comments and referencing Newsom, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“At this stage in my life, I have zero f—- left to give,” Berry told the crowd.
“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,” she added. “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.”
The bill, AB 432, introduced by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, had a goal of improving and expanding menopause care, mandating that a healthcare service plan or health insurer provide recommendations for menopause-related treatments. The bill would have also required healthcare providers to get training on menopause care, according to a press release from Bauer-Kahn.
Newsom vetoed the bill a second time in October.
Newsom told CBS News in October he is giving serious thought to running for president in 2028. The governor was also in attendance at Wednesday’s DealBook Summit.
Berry, who founded the menopause care company Respin, said she is considered “past my prime” in America as she nears 60.
“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, because 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.
“Women are pressured to stay forever 35,” Berry 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.”
Berry admitted she feels pressure to give in to the increasingly popular trend of plastic surgery in Hollywood.
“We’re encouraged to contort our bodies and our faces in truly extreme ways to chase this elusive fountain of youth,” she said. “And, sadly, I have to admit, I too feel this pressure every single day.
“I feel that pressure to change myself in order to stay seen as relevant and desirable.”
Berry also shared a personal story from her childhood in Cleveland. The “Die Another Day” actress recalled being bullied and beaten up by other kids after getting off the bus.
“As they walked off laughing, I was left to pick myself up shirtless out of the gutter. And I did that, but I was humiliated because I had allowed myself to be treated this way. I made the choice to accept it,” Berry said. “I didn’t tell anybody. When they told me they were going to beat the s— out of me, I just said, ‘OK, I deserve it. I guess I’m just going to take it. I have no choice.’
“But as I was walking home, I said, ‘No. I’m never going to allow this to happen to me again,’” she continued. “‘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.”
