Halle Berry Says Gavin Newsom ‘Probably Should Not Be the Next President’ After Menopause Bill Veto
Halle Berry spoke candidly about her opinion of a possible presidential run by California governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday at the New York Times DealBook Summit, declaring “With the way he’s overlooked women, half the population, by devaluing us in midlife, he probably should not be the next president.”
Berry was objecting to Newsom’s lack of support for the Menopause Care Equity Act and his previous veto of a similar bill. Newsom is also appearing Wednesday at the summit.
If men “had a medical condition that disrupted their sleep, brain function and sex life, we’d be calling that a health crisis on par with Covid, and the whole world would shut down,” Berry said.
“When women are struggling silently through perimenopause and menopause, trying to hold their families, careers, relationships and communities together, it doesn’t just affect women, it affects every household,” she told the conference in New York. “It affects the workplace, it affects the economy. One in six women leave the workplace due to their menopausal symptoms. So it affects everybody.
The proposed AB 432 would have mandated comprehensive insurance coverage for medically necessary menopause and perimenopause treatments, required doctors to complete continuing education on menopause and directed the medical board to develop a continuing education curriculum.
“I need every woman in this country to fight with me,” Berry said. “But the truth is, the fight isn’t just for us women. We need men too. We need all of the leaders, 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.”
After Newsom failed to sign the bill in October, he said, “Last year, I vetoed a substantially similar bill, stating that it would limit the ability of health plans to engage in practices that have been shown to ensure appropriate care while limiting unnecessary costs. That is still the case with this bill – despite my call for a more tailored solution. This bill’s expansive coverage mandate, in conjunction with a prohibition on UM, is too far-reaching.”
But Berry had countered that insurance premiums would not be substantially affected.
Berry, who has been advocating for more attention for women’s health issues, finished her nearly 15-minute speech by saying, “At this stage of my life, I have zero fucks left to give.”
