Jordin Sparks Sparks Debate After Public Menopause Tweet to Halle Berry
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — A tweet from singer and actress Jordin Sparks to Halle Berry has unexpectedly ignited a widespread discussion about menopause, aging, and women’s health advocacy. On the evening of January 28, 36-year-old Sparks publicly reached out to 59-year-old Berry on the social media platform X, writing, “Hiiii @halleberry! I sent you a dm because I wrote a screenplay about hormones and menopause and know you’d be the right person to talk to about it! Hope you’re having a great day!” The message quickly went viral, garnering over 1.3 million views and sparking a flurry of reactions ranging from confusion to accusations of insensitivity.
Many users interpreted Sparks’s mention of menopause in a public tweet as a veiled comment on Berry’s age, with some accusing the younger star of being “shady” or inappropriate. One popular reply read, “She said you geriatric sis @halleberry,” while another questioned why Sparks would reference the topic publicly rather than in a private message. However, this reaction overlooks Halle Berry’s longstanding and vocal advocacy on menopause and women’s health.
Berry has been an outspoken figure in breaking the stigma surrounding menopause, using her platform to raise awareness about the challenges women face during this stage of life. She owns a women’s wellness company called Respin Health, which focuses on “redefining menopause and longevity.” In 2024, she candidly shared her personal menopause journey during an event with then-First Lady Jill Biden, revealing how she was initially misdiagnosed with herpes when experiencing symptoms of perimenopause. Berry described the experience as eye-opening, noting that her doctor had little knowledge about menopause symptoms, which fueled her commitment to advocacy.
More recently, Berry publicly opposed California Governor Gavin Newsom’s veto of the Menopause Care Equity Act, a bill aimed at improving access to medical treatments for those experiencing menopause and perimenopause. This marked the second consecutive year the legislation was vetoed. Speaking at the New York Times’s DealBook Summit, Berry highlighted the cultural invisibility and devaluation of women over 50, emphasizing that societal pressures often force women to appear perpetually youthful to maintain their worth in Hollywood and beyond.
Given Berry’s activism, Sparks’s tweet appears to be a respectful outreach to a figure deeply connected to the subject matter of her screenplay. Many commentators have pointed out that the backlash against Sparks reflects persistent taboos around menopause and aging. One social media user noted, “Halle has a company dedicated to menopause care and you people view it as shade. We’re never making it out of the patriarchy. Women’s bodies aren’t shameful.” Another added, “Isn’t Halle Berry a menopause activist? Why is everybody acting like this is shady?”
At the time of writing, Halle Berry has not publicly responded to Sparks’s tweet. The incident underscores the ongoing challenges women face in discussing menopause openly and the need for continued advocacy to normalize conversations about women’s health. For more information on menopause awareness and advocacy efforts, resources are available through the Office on Women’s Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services continues to support initiatives aimed at improving women’s health outcomes across the lifespan.
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