Christina Aguilera and Halle Berry Get Candid About Their Vaginas
Halle Berry and Christina Aguilera joined Tamsen Fadal for a conversation on vaginal dryness, menopause, and sex alongside Joylux, Playground, and Ulta Beauty.
- Share via
LA Times Studios may earn commission from purchases made through our links.
If you’re still whispering “vagina” like it’s a dirty word, Halle Berry and Christina Aguilera have news for you: it’s time to turn up the volume and the joy. In a packed-house panel moderated by Emmy-winning journalist and bestselling author Tamsen Fadal and presented by Playground and Joylux, the two icons skipped shame and said the quiet parts loudly.
But this wasn’t a tabloid-style overshare. It was a masterclass in midlife liberation, a rallying cry for a generation of women who’ve been underserved, underdiagnosed, and deeply misunderstood.
Berry, whose own menopause journey was marked by confusion, stigma, and a misdiagnosis that nearly derailed a new relationship, didn’t mince words. “I did a 180,” she said with a sly smile. “My vagina did a 180.” Mic dropped.
This wasn’t about shock value. It was about reclaiming control, rewriting the narrative, and refusing to let silence cost another woman her dignity, her desire, or her health.
A Misdiagnosis, a Relationship, and a Wake-Up Call
Berry’s entrance into menopause wasn’t accompanied by hot flashes or mood swings, it came with vaginal atrophy and pain during intimacy. But no one told her that it could be menopause.
“I had no idea that I was in menopause... I had this unrealistic idea that maybe I’d just skip it,” she said. “When I realized I had vaginal atrophy, or, you know, vaginal dryness, my doctor told me he thought it was herpes.”
That misdiagnosis triggered a 72-hour emotional tailspin. It also nearly unraveled a new relationship, Berry shared. Only after doing her own research did she discover the truth and the glaring gap in menopause education, even among physicians. “If doctors feel afraid to bring it up, how can they really administer the best health care for us?” she asked. “They don’t even want to say the word.”
Enter: The New Language of Pleasure
Christina Aguilera, long a provocateur of pop and empowerment, didn’t flinch. She embraced the spotlight with the same energy that defined her Stripped era. “We’re going to say vagina. We’re going to make that a fun word because it is,” she declared.
Aguilera is now the co-founder of Playground, a clean intimacy brand focused on pleasure products for real bodies, real relationships, and real conversations. “Sex and your body should be pleasurable. It should be something to be celebrated.”
The message was simple: you don’t have to surrender your sexuality just because you’re aging. In fact, this might be the first time many women are claiming it on their terms. “Why shouldn’t we be advocating for the most important thing that’s responsible for human life?” she added. “It needs to be embraced and celebrated.”
This Isn’t a Trend, It’s a Health Crisis
Vaginal dryness isn’t just uncomfortable, it can affect mental health, intimacy, sleep, and even urinary function. Yet few women talk about it, and even fewer doctors address it proactively.
Berry, an investor in Joylux, uses red light therapy and clean, hormone-free lubricants that changed her life. “I use red light therapy on my face, why wouldn’t I use it intravaginally?” But more than a product plug, her voice was one of righteous frustration. “Men get commercials for Viagra during the Super Bowl. We want that for vaginal health too.”
“We want our dry vaginas fixed, too,” she said. “Because it’s a part of our longevity and our optimum good health.”
And the stats back her up. Over 1 billion women worldwide will be postmenopausal by 2025, and yet most doctors still receive little to no formal training in menopause management.
The Double Standard Hits Home
Aguilera called out the cultural hypocrisy with signature clarity. “It’s just not cool anymore to not be informed.” She recounted years of media shaming for being sexual, for aging, for daring to talk openly about her body. “Most of this industry has been built by men, men who don’t have vaginas.”
And she’s not wrong. Until now, the $40 billion global sexual wellness industry has focused more on performance enhancement than on long-term health, desire, or safety for women. “We think nothing of grabbing a moisturizer for our face or conditioner for our hair,” Aguilera said. “But when it comes to the epicenter of life, we’re still hiding our products like bad foot cream.”
A Shiesta for Your Second Act
If Berry gets her way, women entering menopause won’t get a whisper; they’ll get a party. “We should be throwing shiesta celebrations for women!” she joked. “We celebrate bar mitzvahs and sweet sixteens, why not this rite of passage?”
And maybe that’s the future: a world where women are educated, equipped, and excited to enter their next chapter with zero shame. Aguilera added, “I want all women to feel good about being a woman. And I want my daughter to be informed. To not be afraid to ask the hard questions.”
Berry nodded in agreement. “Talk to each other. Talk to your partners. Call a woman in your life and just ask: ‘How’s your menopause going?’ Start the conversation. That’s how we break the cycle.”
The Bottom Line: Say It, Claim It, Own It
From whispered discomfort to the new loud: joy. “This is the second act of my life,” Berry said. “And it’s my greatest passion.”
If the future of female wellness looks like this: equal parts science, laughter, and a lot of lube, we’re here for it.
Click here to learn more about Respin Health
MORE LIVE & WELL
