Halle Berry Torches Gavin Newsom — And His Record Deserves the Heat

Halle Berry walked onto the New York Times Dealbook Summit stage and did something Hollywood rarely does anymore. She named names, called out a powerful Democrat, and said exactly what she thought about California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s habit of sidelining women. The crowd responded with an audible gasp, the kind that tells you how unprepared people are to hear a famous actress question a rising Democratic star.

Actress Halle Berry slammed Gov. Newsom for ‘overlooking’ and ‘devaluing’ half the population by vetoing a menopause bill she backed—twice:

“That’s okay, because he’s not going to be governor forever, and the way he has overlooked women—half the population—by devaluing us, he… pic.twitter.com/12S9tGm7uQ

— Julia 🇺🇸 (@Jules31415) December 4, 2025

How Newsom’s Vetoes Made Berry’s “Zero F-cks” Moment Inevitable

Berry’s critique did not come out of thin air. She has spent years pushing for better menopause care and awareness, and she is one of the most recognizable public voices talking about the subject. California had an opportunity to lead on the issue. Instead, Newsom vetoed a bipartisan menopause-care bill not once but twice. The legislation would have required health plans to cover recommendations for menopause-related treatments and would have mandated training for providers. These are basic measures that acknowledge half the population will experience menopause. Yet Newsom killed the bill two years in a row.

Berry let the frustration show. She said she has “zero f–ks left to give,” and it sounded less like shock value and more like exhaustion. Women in midlife have been told for generations to keep quiet about their health. Hollywood reinforces the message. Workplaces reinforce it. Social media reinforces it. Berry refused to play along. She called Newsom’s approach devaluing. She reminded the audience that women over 50 are not a niche group. They are voters, workers, and taxpayers.

When the Governor’s Spin Collides With Reality

Newsom’s office offered the usual explanation. His spokesperson said he blocked the bill because it would raise health-care costs. It is the kind of talking point that shows up whenever politicians want credit for caring while doing nothing that requires political courage. It also landed poorly because Newsom is positioning himself for a 2028 presidential run. Polls already include him among the top contenders. That adds weight to Berry’s warning that he “should not be our next president.”

Newsom justified his menopause-care veto by claiming the bill would raise health-care costs, yet that logic falls apart the moment you look at what California already covers.

The state requires insurers to fund gender-affirming treatments for transgender patients, and taxpayers are footing the bill for those same services inside women’s prisons. That reality makes the cost argument ring hollow. Women in midlife were told their care was too expensive, while entire categories of gender-related treatments face no such hesitation from the governor’s office. The double standard speaks for itself.

The insult lands even harder when you realize who gets caught in the fallout. Women entering menopause are not asking for experimental procedures or luxury treatments. They want basic medical guidance, symptom management, and providers who actually understand what is happening to their bodies.

That kind of care was dismissed as too costly, yet California already absorbs the expense of gender-affirming treatments for adults who request them and for inmates who receive them through the prison system. The message is impossible to ignore. One group’s care is treated as essential, protected, and nonnegotiable. Another group’s care is treated as optional. Women over 40 get the lecture about budgets. Everyone else gets a green light. It is a hierarchy carved into policy, and women are expected to quietly accept their place at the bottom.

There is another layer to his record that women and parents in California have been watching closely. He has spent years presenting himself as a defender of LGBTQ+ rights and often talks about protecting transgender youth. That message plays well in progressive circles. The details tell a more complicated story. He also backed laws that block public schools from notifying parents when students socially transition.

Berry Exposed the Pattern Everyone Else Tiptoes Around.

Berry’s comments hit harder when viewed against that backdrop. She was not only criticizing a veto. She was calling out a pattern. Newsom positions himself as a champion of progressive values, yet he repeatedly chooses the safest political route when confronted with difficult decisions. Women saw it with the menopause bill. Parents saw it with the school-notification law.

The Dealbook Summit gave viewers a rare moment of honesty. Berry spoke from personal experience and refused to pretend the issue was minor. She talked about aging in a culture that treats women over 50 as invisible. Berry acknowledged the pressure to stay “forever 35.” She described the dismissiveness she has encountered. That candor resonated. A room full of elites suddenly had to sit with the reality that even an Oscar winner cannot escape the way American culture undervalues older women.

Two Vetoes Speak Louder Than His Post-Summit Polishing.

Newsom took the stage after her remarks and made the usual promises about working with advocates. His team insisted they share Berry’s goals and claimed the veto was only about costs. It was a predictable response from a politician with national ambitions. It also did nothing to change the fact that he blocked the legislation twice when he had the chance to lead.

Berry forced a conversation that many people in power prefer to avoid. She pushed menopause into the spotlight. And named a governor who wants the presidency. She did not soften her tone to spare anyone’s feelings. That courage stands out in a political landscape full of poll-tested statements. Newsom can explain his vetoes all he wants. Berry made it clear that women are paying attention, and they are tired of leaders who talk about “equity” while treating their health as optional.

Feature Image: Gabriel Hutchinson Photography, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons/Gavin Newsom/Gage Skidmore/Flickr/License CC BY-SA 2.0/edited and collaged in Canva Pro