Halle Berry may be known for commanding the screen, but at the DealBook Summit on Wednesday, it was her words—not a performance—that stunned the room into silence. In a direct and unexpected moment of political clarity, the Oscar-winning actress turned her attention to California Governor Gavin Newsom, delivering one of the most pointed critiques he’s received from within his own cultural sphere: Don’t run for president—because you’ve failed the women of California.
Berry was part of a panel focused on women’s representation and treatment in America—particularly in Hollywood—but her frustration quickly turned to real-world policy, specifically Newsom’s veto of AB 432, a menopause care bill that advocates have called both overdue and essential. The legislation, spearheaded by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, would have expanded menopause training for healthcare providers and mandated broader coverage for menopause-related treatment under insurance plans. It wasn’t some radical social experiment—it was a bill rooted in basic, long-ignored healthcare needs for tens of millions of women.
Yet, Newsom vetoed it. Not once. Twice.
And for Berry, that wasn’t just a policy disagreement—it was a betrayal.
“But that’s okay,” she said, visibly controlled but fierce. “Because he’s not going to be governor forever. And with the way he’s overlooked women, half the population, by devaluing us in midlife, he probably should not be our next president either. Just saying.”
Just saying? Hardly. The message landed like a mic drop—made all the more dramatic by the fact that Gavin Newsom was in the room.
It was a rare moment where a Hollywood star confronted a rising political figure from the same ideological ecosystem, challenging him not with platitudes or vague criticisms, but with specifics—his record. For a governor who’s carefully cultivated a national profile with designer suits, trips to China, and subtle digs at red-state leaders, Berry’s critique was a sharp reality check.
🚨 HOLY CRAP! Actress Halle Berry went OFF on Gavin Newsom to the NYT crowd, the whole room was shocked
“With the way he’s overlooked women, half the population, by devaluing us in midlife, he probably should not be our next president either! Just saying!” 🔥
“My own Gov. Gavin… pic.twitter.com/SqJqDBjX8p
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) December 4, 2025
Her words also struck at a broader political blind spot. Newsom talks a progressive game, but as Berry rightly pointed out, progressivism that forgets the real, lived medical needs of half the population is just branding. It’s performative leadership. It’s optics without obligation.
The timing couldn’t be worse for Newsom. With whispers of a 2028 presidential run turning into full-throated speculation, the last thing he needs is a high-profile, articulate woman delivering a blistering takedown in front of a national audience—especially on an issue that cuts across ideological lines. Menopause isn’t political. Neglecting it is.
Berry didn’t just stop at criticism. She called for a national movement, urging women and men alike to get serious about healthcare equity: “We need all of the leaders, every single one of you in this room. This fight needs you.”
That fight, apparently, doesn’t need Gavin Newsom.
And if Berry’s words are any indication, there’s a growing sentiment among women that supporting “the right causes” in press conferences doesn’t count if you’re vetoing their most fundamental concerns behind closed doors.
