The dispute between Halle Berry and California Gov. Gavin Newsom is continuing as the actor takes issue with his stance on women’s health care. As Berry maintains her campaign for greater support for menopause-related care, she said Newsom is not telling the truth regarding his claims that he was working things out with her over the issue.
Berry disputes Newsom’s claim of reconciliation over women’s health legislation
Berry recently told The Cut, “It’s disturbing when people say they’re going to do things and then they don’t,” in reference to Newsom. Berry’s remark is in response to Newsom telling TMZ in December that he was “reconciling” things with Berry after they disagreed over a bill supporting menopause-related health care; Berry said that contrary to Newsom’s public statement, she had not heard back from the governor on the issue. “But he heard what I said,” Berry said. “If he is going to run to be our next president, he can’t sleep on women. Wake up, Gavin.”
As Blavity previously reported, Berry spent months last year advocating for Newsom and the California legislature to support a bill that would require health insurers in the state to cover menopause-related care, including hormone replacement therapy. Newsom vetoed a similar bill in 2024, claiming that it would raise health care costs. The disagreement between Berry and Newsom grew contentious after he again vetoed the legislation. “But that’s OK, because he’s not going to be governor forever,” Berry said in December at The New York Times Dealbook Summit, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “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 added.
Berry continues to act as an advocate for women’s health
Inspired by her own health care journey, the 59-year-old Berry has increasingly used her celebrity status to engage in activism and entrepreneurship relating to women’s health care, especially care related to midlife issues such as menopause. In 2024, Berry sat down with then First Lady Jill Biden as part of a health care summit to discuss menopause-related care. Berry also launched Respin, a holistic health care company focused on women’s issues such as menopause. During her wide-ranging interview with The Cut, Berry described the company as a significant commitment. “It’s a start-up, so it’s mostly me hemorrhaging my time and my money,” Berry explained. “But women are as confused as I am on this midlife journey and I felt like I had to do something.”
Newsom, meanwhile, is serving his second and final term as governor of California. As Berry noted, he is widely considered to be a Democratic frontrunner for the 2028 presidential election. As such, Newsom has taken on an increasingly national profile, clashing with the Trump administration on a number of issues while carving out his own stances on topics ranging from immigration enforcement to transgender athletes. In order to potentially win the presidency, however, he will have to navigate issues that impact key voting groups, and Berry has argued that he risks alienating half the population with his stance. According to The Independent, Newsom’s office responded to Berry’s latest criticism, stating, “Ms. Berry’s remarks are very unfortunate given the Governor’s proposal put forward to support menopause care through the state budget, just as he said he would do in his veto message on AB 432.”
Despite Newsom’s claims to “support menopause care,” Berry has clearly been unhappy with the governor’s actions on the issue. Unless Newsom and the lawmakers in California are able to address this issue in a way that Berry sees as giving adequate attention and resources to women, the actor appears set to continue her advocacy and her harsh words toward the governor.