'I'M SOLIDLY 100% SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF MENOPAUSE'

OSCAR WINNER HALLE BERRY TALKS ABOUT TACKLING TABOOS AND EDUCATING HER KIDS

-  TAMARA ORLOVA

No stranger to the glitz and glamour of the red carpet, Halle Berry was at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity recently and looked like a woman on a mission.

Taking to the stage, the model-turned-actress and producer exuded star quality – but she wasn’t there to pick up an award or discuss her latest movie. This time, the Oscar winner was taking her chance to talk about her new venture, re-spin, a health and wellbeing platform focusing on pre-menopause and menopause.

The star, who made history back in 2002 when she became the first African-American woman to win the Academy Award for Best Actress, is used to telling it like it is. In her acceptance speech for her role in Monster’s Ball, she said she collected the award “for every nameless, faceless woman of colour that now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened”.

And now, outspoken Halle is making a name for herself as someone who also raises awareness about health-related issues and how we break down taboos.

Her own wellness journey started when she was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 22, which she says caught her “completely off-guard”.

The 56-year-old has since become an advocate for diabetes education and has used her profile to become a role model. Now, armed with past experience, and ready to share her knowledge, she has launched re-spin to raise awareness of pre-menopause and menopause and provide a one-stop platform to all women and men alike.

The narrative around women’s bodies has historically seemingly belonged to men but the tide is turning, according to the star.