HALLE BERRY: THE NEW FACE OF MENOPAUSE — AND SHE’S WEAPONISING AGE LIKE A POWER TOOL.

At 57, Halle Berry has done something even more subversive than winning an Oscar or slaying a Bond Girl role — she’s made menopause aspirational.

Forbes has crowned her the face of its 2024 50 Over 50 list, the annual issue that doesn’t just shine a light on women smashing glass ceilings, but on women who are doing it when the world expected them to disappear.

This year, instead of a young billionaire or a shiny new startup founder, Forbes gave us something far more radical — a perimenopausal Black woman on a mission to make aging visible, sexy and lucrative. Berry isn’t just smiling for the camera; she’s here on a cultural mission.

Many know Halle Berry as the first and only Black woman to win a Best Actress Oscar. But the woman on the cover of 50 Over 50 is not content with legacy — she’s building an empire.

She’s launching wellness companies, backing hormonal health innovation, and telling the truth about hot flashes and night sweats — not like problems to solve, but like battle scars she’s proud to show.

In an industry where women are told to stay young or stay quiet, Berry’s new phase comes with megaphone energy.

The timing of this cover is no coincidence. Women over 50 now represent one of the most powerful consumer blocs in the world — with a spending power estimated at over $15 trillion globally. These aren’t retiring grandmas.

These are founders, CEOs, presidents, surgeons, investors, lawmakers… and yes, blockbuster stars with skincare contracts, billion-dollar businesses and opinions that refuse to be muted.

By placing Halle Berry at the centre of this conversation, Forbes is not just celebrating personal achievement — it’s signalling a wider revolution: one where aging is influence, menopause is a microphone, and staying silent is no longer an option.

Berry isn’t asking for a seat at the new table — she’s building one. Publicly. Loudly. Stylishly. For every woman who has been told to tone down. For every woman who felt her value dropping as the candles on the cake went up. And especially for every Black woman who was never given grace to embody softness, age, and power at the same time.

Aging is not a crisis — it’s a career move. Halle Berry just turned menopause into a headline, into a hustle, into hot girl territory.And frankly? About damn time.