Halle Berry, 58, is embracing her own “second act” and is encouraging other women to do the same. To help make this pursuit a reality, she has re-launched her wellness brand, Respin, with a focus on menopause education, community, and empowerment for mid-life women.
In a Today interview, Berry discussed her perspective on aging. “We don’t have to just fall off into obscurity when we hit 40,” she said. “We have half of our life still to live.” She sees mid-life as an exciting and largely underappreciated time in which women can leverage their life experience and reinvent themselves.
“We are truly at our best,” she said. “We’ve worked hard, raised our families, and built our careers. It’s not time to slow down—it’s time to thrive. We just need to know how.”
Respin provides expert-advised menopause wellness guidance, from nutrition and exercise to hormone replacement therapy. More importantly, it provides a forum for women to support each other.
Berry knew that speaking openly about menopause was a gamble. “People told me, ‘Are you sure you want to be identified with menopause? Will it damage your career?'” she recalled. “That’s exactly why I have to talk about it. There’s nothing wrong with being 58. We have to change the dialogue.”
She’s among a growing list of celebrities, including Naomi Watts and Jennifer Aniston, who are working to erase the stigma of menopause. Berry’s advice? Just get started.
“Do something. Educate yourself about what’s happening with your body,” she encouraged. “When women educate themselves, they feel in control instead of helpless.”
Her argument is simple: “We can still be our fabulous selves—we just have to learn how.”
