“The View” co-host Sunny Hostin came to California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s defense after Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry slammed the politician for blocking a bill that would expand coverage for hormone replacement therapy.
“I adore Halle Berry, I know Halle Berry. I disagree with her 100 percent on this,” Hostin said during Friday’s episode of “The View.”
“Gavin Newsom made it very clear that the reason that he’s vetoed this bill twice is because he’s asking them to tailor it for costs,” Hostin continued. “Remember that in 2026 healthcare premiums are going to go up to almost $1,000 per family. In an effort to keep healthcare costs down, he has to veto it because they’re not tailoring the bill.”
Hostin went on to list all the legislative efforts Newsom has made in the name of women’s healthcare, including a “measure allowing healthcare providers to prescribe abortion medication anonymously.”
She defended: “He increased legal protection for providers against criminal prosecution in October, he signed legislation that protects women’s health by creating safety regulations for ingredients and materials in products used by women, including hair, menstrual products, prenatal vitamins, he has done a lot for women.”
Per Hostin, Newsom has been “thinking about the health of the country, and the rising costs of healthcare.”
Her defense came after Berry lamented that there is a lack of medical support and research that’s catered to women who are experiencing perimenopause and menopause. In fact, Berry specifically called out Newsom while speaking at the New York Times’ DealBook Summit on Wednesday, where she accused the governor of overlooking women “by devaluing us in midlife.”
While Hostin spoke out in favor of Newsom, her co-host, Alyssa Farah Griffin, noted that the governor’s efforts for women’s healthcare should include all of the stages of a woman’s life.
“If it’s too expensive for Gavin Newsom, maybe we need to go back to the drawing board,” Griffin chimed in. “I care about addressing public policy to deal with the whole sweep of women’s health issues. I’m passionate about fertility. I think we don’t do enough to diagnose issues women might have on the front end of pregnancy, but it has to go through the whole phase of a woman’s life through menopause and beyond. But the ability to do it cost-effectively also matters.”
Watch the discussion above.
