California Governor Gavin Newsom has responded to critics who mocked his unusual sitting posture during a recent event.

The 58-year-old governor faced online ridicule earlier this week after his cross-legged stance at The New York Times’ DealBook Summit became a point of contention.

In a witty retort, Newsom’s press office shared an AI-generated image of him with legs humorously bent over his head and ankles crossed near his face, hands pressed together in a meditative pose.

“Democracy requires flexibility,” his team quipped on X Friday, adding a touch of humor to the situation.

Newsom himself joined in on the fun by reposting the image with a simple exclamation: “WOW!”

Earlier this week, Newsom’s sitting position was criticized for being feminine and uncomfortable looking.

‘His legs look like rubber,’ one person quipped.

‘How does ANY guy anatomically sit like this?’ asked another.

Governor Gavin Newsom was mercilessly mocked on Wednesday for the way he sat while on stage for The New York Times DealBook Summit 

His press office was quick to response, posting an AI-generated image of Newsom, writing: ‘Democracy requires flexibility’ 

‘Men don’t sit like that. It looks painful,’ wrote someone else.

‘Why is Gavin sitting like this? Is this normal behavior?’ read a fourth post.

In another awkward moment, actress Halle Berry, who took the stage before Newsom, accused him of ‘devaluing’ women and claimed he should not be the next president of the United States. 

Newsom has admitted earlier this year that he does intend to run in the 2028 race. 

‘Back in my great state of California, my very own governor, Gavin Newsom, has vetoed our menopause bill, not one but two years in a row,’ Berry said. 

‘But that’s okay, because he’s not going to be governor forever, and the way he has overlooked women, half the population, by devaluing us, he probably should not be our next president either.’ 

The bipartisan bill titled Menopause Care Equity Act would, if passed, mandate comprehensive health insurance coverage for women experiencing menopause and perimenopause symptoms.

It also stipulated that the California Medical Board create a menopause-specific curriculum and require doctors to complete ongoing menopause-related education.

Moments before he took the stage, Halle Berry accused him of ‘devaluing’ women after he vetoed a menopause bill that she had tirelessly championed 

Berry has been an outspoken advocate for menopausal women since discovering in 2024 that she had been in perimenopause for 10 years but had been misdiagnosed as having Herpes.

But as he made his way through Newark International Airport in New Jersey on Thursday, Newsom told Backgrid that the measure was already included in the state’s 2026 budget.

He said that he has spoken with Berry’s manager and they are ‘reconciling this.’

‘We’re getting it fixed,’ Newsom said, claiming that Berry was unaware that the measure was included in the budget before she gave her speech. 

Following the fiery speech, a spokesperson for Newsom said he deeply admires Berry’s advocacy and looks forward to working with her on this ‘critical issue.’

The spokesperson then added that Newsom vetoed the bill twice because it would have ‘unintentionally raised health care costs for millions of working women and working families already stretched thin.’

It is unclear what may have prompted Newsom to now include funding for the bipartisan Menopause Care Equity Act in the 2026 budget, which the California government passed in June.

But sources inside Newsom’s office told TMZ that the governor was not planning to announce the measure until January 10, but Berry’s speech prompted him to accelerate his timeline.