Halle Berry didn't hold back in calling out California Governor Gavin Newsom for vetoing a menopause care bill, even questioning his presidential ambitions. Newsom responded quickly, praising her advocacy while explaining his veto reasons. Sources say her speech sped up plans for new funding.
Oh, the drama! Halle Berry, our forever icon at 59, served some serious shade at the New York Times' DealBook Summit on Wednesday. She slammed Newsom for twice vetoing The Menopause Care Equity Act, a bill she passionately supports to expand access to menopause care. And get this—she straight-up said he won't be governor forever and probably shouldn't be the country's next president in 2028, where he's rumored to be eyeing a run. Messy? Absolutely. 🔥
Newsom's team wasn't about to let that slide. Wednesday night, his rep dropped a statement via Variety: "The Governor has deep admiration for Ms. Berry’s advocacy and looks forward to working with her and other stakeholders on this critical issue. He shares her goal of expanding access to menopause care that too many women struggle to get. He vetoed the bill because, as written, it would have unintentionally raised health care costs for millions of working women and working families already stretched thin—something he’s determined to avoid. We’re confident that by working together this year, we can expand access to essential menopause treatment while protecting women from higher bills."
But wait, there's more tea. Thursday at Newark International Airport in New Jersey, our TMZ cams caught Newsom smoothing things over. He revealed his team spoke with Halle's manager and they're "reconciling this" over the menopause clash. Newsom added that Halle was unaware the bill's funding was already tucked into next year's budget before her speech. Sources connected to his office tell TMZ the announcement was slated for January 10 as part of the budget rollout. However, other sources spill that Halle's fiery words prompted Newsom to accelerate breaking the news. Translation: HB won the battle, darlings. 👑 So, is this the start of a beautiful collaboration, or just damage control before 2028?
