Halle Berry Gets Political About Menopause in Fiery Speech On The Pressure to 'To Stay Forever 35'

Halle Berry is not afraid to call out political figures for slacking. 

The actress recently delivered a heartfelt speech about a menopause bill she backed and slammed a high-profile American politician for blocking the bill instead of backing it. 

Over the years, Berry has been outspoken about her passion for women’s health. She founded Respin, a wellness brand dedicated to women’s health, fitness, and overall well-being.

Halle Berry recently took the stage at The New York Times Dealbook Summit, where she shed light on the challenges that menopausal women face in various industries.

She also brazenly pointed fingers at California’s Governor Gavin Newsom for vetoing a menopause bill that could have brought about the support needed to further the research on women’s health. 

In her heartfelt speech, the 59-year-old actress expressed hope that down the line, more people in power would understand the importance of such bills and get behind them.

She noted that Newsom would not remain in office forever and discouraged the thought of him ever moving on to be president. In her words:

“Back in my great state of California, my very own governor, Gavin Newsom, has vetoed our menopause bill, not one, but two years in a row. 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. Just saying.”

The Golden Globe Award winner further shed light on the pressure women often experience as they grow older. She explained that women past a certain age are often “devalued” because society views them as past their prime. 

“Our culture thinks that at 59 years old, I am past my prime, and that women my age start to become invisible in Hollywood, in the workplace, on social media. Women are pressured to stay forever 35,” she said, per The Hollywood Reporter. 

She also stated that older women are complimented more if they seem to be aging backwards, noting that this puts women under pressure to avoid looking like their real age. 

The “X-Men” actress candidly acknowledged that, just like other women, she often feels the pressure to change herself in order to stay “seen, relevant, and desirable.”

She then recounted her personal childhood experience of being bullied and beaten up while growing up in Cleveland, Ohio.

Berry recalled picking herself up “shirtless out of the gutter” after being beaten up. At the time, she felt humiliated because she felt like she deserved it. However, she eventually learned to take a stand against the bullies and refused to be harassed ever again. 

“But as I was walking home, I said, No. I’m never going to allow this to happen to me again,” she continued. “I’m never not going to stand up for myself. I’ll never allow myself to be a victim like that, and since I was in the sixth grade, I have never allowed myself to be misused or abused or mistreated in any way.” 

Drawing from that experience, the “Catwoman” actress vowed to always speak up for what is right and stand against harassment. 

This isn’t the first time Berry has openly spoken about the challenges women go through during menopause. Over the years, the actress has candidly shared her menopause experience with the world in a bid to empower other women facing the same challenges. 

As The Blast reported, earlier this year, Berry shared an Instagram post announcing Respin, her wellness brand. She expressed the desire to build a world where women openly discuss their health issues without any shame, saying, “That’s exactly what we’ve been building at Respin.” 

The businesswoman also introduced the brand as a “vibrant, intimate community” that allowed women to flourish together in order to “shift the narrative around menopause.”

In addition to being vocal about menopause, Berry has also been outspoken about her desire to see Black women thrive in other areas of life, particularly the film industry. 

According to The Blast, the “Perfect Stranger” actress acknowledged how she has always had to work “10 times harder than everybody else to get anywhere.”

As such, she desires to see another Black woman snag the Oscar for Best Actress, as it would imply that the African-American community is finally getting the recognition it deserves.  

"I hope this year someone stands next to me. I hope it happens because I'm tired of occupying that space alone,” she said. 

Months after Berry expressed a desire to see the Black community thrive, the spotlight shifted from her career to her love life. 

As reported by The Blast, her longtime partner, Van Hunt, revealed in June that he had already proposed to Berry. However, the actress has not outrightly said yes yet because she doesn’t want to rush into anything, as both she and Hunt have been married before. 

Berry confirmed that her bond with Hunt is one of the strongest she has ever felt and acknowledged that someday, they might tie the knot.