Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry has delivered a blunt warning to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, saying she will not support his expected presidential ambitions after he failed to follow through with her over a vetoed menopause care bill — an issue she says reflects a deeper disregard for women voters.
Berry, 60, criticized Newsom for killing the Menopause Care Act last year, legislation that would have required insurance companies to cover proven menopause treatments. In a recent interview with The Cut, the actress said she personally confronted the governor about the veto and was assured he would reconnect with her to address the issue — a promise she says he never kept.
“It’s disturbing when people say they’re going to do things and then don’t,” Berry said. While acknowledging that Newsom listened to her concerns at the time, she made clear that listening alone is not enough. “If he is going to run to be our next president, he can’t sleep on women,” she warned. “Wake up, Gavin.”
Berry’s remarks underscore growing frustration among women’s health advocates who viewed the veto as a missed opportunity to address menopause care, an area long criticized for being underfunded, under-researched, and frequently dismissed in policy debates. The Menopause Care Act would have ensured coverage for FDA-approved treatments, including hormone replacement therapy and non-hormonal medications.
Newsom’s office pushed back on Berry’s comments, calling them “very unfortunate.” A spokesperson said the governor has introduced a new proposal through the state budget that would expand menopause care coverage, consistent with commitments he made in his veto message for Assembly Bill 432. Under the proposal, health plans would be required to cover approved menopause treatments for new or renewed policies beginning July 1.
Berry, however, suggested the issue goes beyond policy details and into political trust. She first publicly criticized Newsom in December 2025 while speaking at the New York Times DealBook Summit, where she accused him of undervaluing women and implied his record should disqualify him from higher office.
“He’s not going to be governor forever,” Berry said at the time. “And the way he has overlooked women — half the population — by devaluing us, he probably should not be our next president either. Just saying.”
Following those remarks, Newsom acknowledged Berry’s advocacy and suggested they were moving toward reconciliation. But more than a month later, Berry says that outreach never materialized, fueling her latest criticism.
As speculation continues to swirl around Newsom’s national political future, Berry’s comments highlight the risks Democrats face when women’s health issues are perceived as secondary or negotiable. For Berry, the message is clear: symbolic gestures and delayed action won’t be enough.
“You can’t say the right things and then disappear,” she implied. “Not if you want women to show up for you.”