Hollywood star and activist Halle Berry has claimed a significant political victory after California Governor Gavin Newsom performed a dramatic U-turn on a key women's healthcare bill just one day after she publicly excoriated him.
A Stinging Public Rebuke
The dramatic confrontation unfolded on Wednesday at the New York Times DealBook Summit. In a blistering speech delivered moments before Governor Newsom was due to take the stage, the 59-year-old Oscar winner accused the 58-year-old politician of devaluing women by vetoing a menopause bill she had championed for two consecutive years.
Berry did not hold back, linking the veto to Newsom's national political ambitions. 'But 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 probably should not be our next president either,' she declared to the audience.
Newsom's Swift and Surprising Capitulation
In a stunning reversal less than 24 hours later, Governor Newsom folded under the pressure. Speaking to reporters at Newark International Airport on Thursday, he announced that funding for the measure, officially known as the bipartisan Menopause Care Equity Act, was already included in the state’s 2026 budget and that he had spoken with Berry’s team.
'We’re getting it fixed,' Newsom insisted, claiming Berry was unaware the funding was 'already baked into the budget' prior to her summit speech. However, sources within the governor's office told TMZ that the announcement was not planned until January 10, but was accelerated due to Berry's very public takedown.
Initially, a spokesperson for Newsom had defended the vetoes, stating they were to prevent unintentionally raising health care costs for millions of working families. The governor's office had previously labelled the measure a 'critical' women's healthcare issue.
Berry's Triumph and Personal Advocacy
By Friday, Halle Berry's satisfaction was unmistakable. Photographed striding through John F. Kennedy International Airport, the actor flashed a triumphant, amused smile that seemed to say 'told you so'. Dressed in casual chic attire, she appeared completely unbothered by the preceding political storm.
Berry's advocacy is deeply personal. She discovered in 2024 that she had been in perimenopause for a decade after being misdiagnosed. Since then, she has become an outspoken campaigner, last year joining senators at the U.S. Capitol to push for $275 million in menopause research and education funding.
'The shame has to be taken out of menopause. We have to talk about this very normal part of our life,' Berry has stated. The bill she championed ensures comprehensive insurance coverage for menopause symptoms and mandates specific medical training on the issue.
The episode highlights the growing power of celebrity activism in shaping policy and has delivered a significant, if unexpected, win for women's health advocacy in California.
