At 59, Halle Berry embodies the strength, resilience, and complexity of women everywhere. From blockbuster wins to deeply personal struggles, she has long represented not just great acting but the evolving challenges women face through life’s stages. Now, with her highly anticipated thriller Crime 101 on the horizon, Berry is using her platform to champion health rights for women, especially older women whose needs are often sidelined.

Her outspokenness on women’s health has also brought her into direct tension with political leaders, most notably California Governor Gavin Newsom, and she has shown she is not stepping back from those conversations.

In a recent interview with The Cut, Halle Berry said she was told Gavin Newsom would 'reconcile' after the actress criticized his decision to veto the Menopause Care Equity Act, but she never heard from him directly. Berry called that lack of contact “disturbing,” stressing that meaningful engagement on women’s health issues must go beyond political rhetoric. 

“It’s disturbing when people say they’re going to do things and then they don’t,” Berry said. 

Berry’s advocacy is about the Menopause Care Equity Act aimed at expanding access to menopause-related medical care. The bill enjoyed overwhelming bipartisan support in the California Legislature but was vetoed by Newsom in both 2024 and 2025. 

At The New York Times DealBook Summit last December, Berry publicly criticized Newsom for his repeated vetoes and for what she described as a broader pattern of overlooking women’s needs. Her remarks told to The Cut, struck a chord, and drew gasps as she declared Newsom probably should not be our next president if he continued to “devalue” half the population by ignoring midlife health priorities.

Halle Berry Spills the Beans on Potential 'Avengers: Doomsday' Appearance as Storm

While internet rumors swirl about Halle Berry reentering the superhero universe with Avengers: Doomsday and Hollywood obsesses over her ageless appeal, Berry herself seems focused elsewhere. 

Halle Berry’s next major screen appearance arrives with Crime 101, a sleek crime thriller scheduled for release on February 13, 2026. Starring opposite Chris Hemsworth, the film adapts Don Winslow’s short story about high-stakes jewel theft and the moral chess game between criminals and law enforcement. Berry’s role, still largely under wraps, places her squarely within a genre that rarely centers on women of her age.

Off-screen, Berry has been just as deliberate about where she places her energy. In recent The Cut profiles and photo shoots, she speaks candidly about aging in an industry that treats youth as currency and invisibility as punishment. That philosophy extends into Respin, the wellness platform she co-founded to support women navigating menopause and life beyond it.

Halle Berry’s journey from Oscar-winning Hollywood icon to fierce women’s health advocate reflects a growing movement demanding visibility and policy action. Whether on screen or in public debate, she is making sure women’s voices are not ignored.

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What do you think about her stance? And should political leaders listen more closely? Share your thoughts.