Academy Award-winning actress Halle Berry slammed California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday during a speech at the New York Times’ DealBook Summit, saying vetoes from the Democratic governor — and fellow DealBook speaker — on a bill that would expand coverage to hormone therapy meant he “probably should not be our next president.”
Berry, speaking about her advocacy work through her women’s health and menopause advocacy organization Respin, praised efforts from some states to expand access to hormone replacement therapy, which can be helpful for both trans kids and menopausal women. Conversely, she said, Newsom repeatedly vetoed bills that would have mandated coverage of hormone therapy for 12 months.
“He’s not gonna be governor forever,” Berry said. “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.”
A spokesperson for Newsom pointed to Newsom’s veto note on the most recent bill, AB 432, which he said in October was “a bill that does not strike the important, and achievable, balance between expanding access to this essential treatment and the affordability of care.” It was the second of such bills that he vetoed.
Newsom did not address Berry’s remark while he spoke onstage on Wednesday, part of the daylong summit that includes Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, YouTube creator MrBeast and Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk.
Berry’s remark about her fellow DealBook speaker, hours before his scheduled appearance on the main stage, drew audible gasps from the room of business executives and corporate aides. “Just saying,” she added.
His inaction, the actress said, meant women needed to “fight” to advocate for health efforts for menopausal women.
“We need all of the leaders,” she said, gesturing to the executive audience. “Every single one of you in this room, this fight needs you. We need you to stay curious. We need you to ask questions. We need you to care even when the topic feels unfamiliar and uncomfortable. We need you to have the conversation anyway,
because when women are struggling silently with pre-menopause and menopause, trying to hold their families, careers, relationships and communities together, it doesn’t just affect women. It affects every household.”
