When Halle Berry experienced agonising pain after sex, a doctor initially misdiagnosed the symptom as herpes – but the real cause was something every woman goes through
11:22, 30 Jan 2026Updated 13:57, 30 Jan 2026
Halle Berry has opened up about her health struggles as she turns 60(Image: GETTY)
Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry has fought many battles over the years, growing up in an abusive household and struggling with bullies as a teenager. Now a new challenge faces her – the spectre of ageism as she approaches the big 6-0.
In a new interview, she says: “I don’t know how old these male actors are because their age doesn’t precede their name. With us, it always does. Soon it will be ‘60-year-old Halle Berry’.”
Another struggle Halle is having to deal with is the unavoidable stress of menopause. The former Bond girl and X-Men star explains that after three divorces, she had come to terms with the idea of being single for the rest of her life.
Then, to her surprise, Halle did find someone. Connecting during the Covid-19 pandemic she and musician Van Hunt didn’t meet in person for six months. But almost as soon as they did, she realised something was very wrong. She told The Times: “Sex started to feel like I had razor blades in my vagina.”
While the agonising symptom was initially misdiagnosed as herpes, Halle eventually realised that she was dealing with the impact of menopause. She continued: “That was God’s joke. That was the universe. I was like, ‘Universe, you bring me this man I’ve been asking for, and now you plummet me into hell.’ ”
Halle met new partner Van Hunt in 2020(Image: Getty Images for Academy Museum)
Halle was aware of menopause, as an idea, but she somehow imagined that it wouldn’t affect her. She continued: “I thought I was going to skip it. That’s how ignorant I was.”
Wen she experienced classic menopause symptoms such as night sweats, irritability and brain fog, she blamed anything but menopause. But now, Halle says, she’s taking control of the condition, and determined to spread the word.
“There are 100 symptoms of menopause; we all go through it differently,” she says. The average age of menopause for women in the US is 51. But that can embrace onset anywhere between 45 to 55, meaning that initial symptoms can begin to manifest for some women in they late thirties.
Halle is one of very few actresses to have won both and Oscar and a Razzie(Image: Daily Record)
Halle has retooled her women’s wellness business, Respin Health, to focus on “redefining menopause and longevity,” and has been outspoken about the importance of taking women’s health seriously. Respin partners with companies such as Joylux to offer solutions for issues like vaginal dryness.
Respin’s website also offers red light therapy remedies, online group chats with other women who are dealing with the same issues, and one-to-one consultations with menopause specialists.
Halle explained to Forbes: “We are trying to be your one-stop shop for all things menopause, because what I’ve learned on this journey is that every woman ‘menopauses’ in a different way.”
The award-winning actress added: “This is my greatest act. And I couldn’t have imagined that this would be my greatest act because I think as women, we’ve been afraid to age.”