Inside Actress Halle Berry’s Three Marriages
Halle Berry has remained in demand as an actress. She made history when she became the first African American actress to win an Oscar for a leading role and has continued to challenge herself by trying versatile roles in a variety of film genres. But her career success hasn’t transferred into her personal life.
The former beauty pageant winner has been married and divorced three times, which has been difficult to deal with publicly.
Halle Berry’s marriage to Eddie Justice (1993 – 1996)
Berry first saw the New York Yankee when he played at a baseball game that aired on MTV in 1992. They met after Justice requested her autograph. The Mirror UK revealed that she gave him her phone number instead. Six months into their relationship, she proposed, and they married on New Year’s Day shortly after midnight in 1993.
They lived together in Atlanta when Justice was traded to the Atlanta Braves. Berry often spoke fondly of Justice in interviews. But Justice later told People that Berry was insecure and had trust issues. “She carried a lot of baggage from her previous relationships,” he said. “She was always suspicious. I’ve never known a girl who could throw a tantrum like she does.”
They split in March 1996 and things turned ugly quickly. Berry filed for a restraining order to have Justice remain at least 500 yards from her Hollywood Hills home after she says he acted irrationally when he came to retrieve his personal belongings.
The divorce took its toll on the actress. She tearfully revealed to Oprah Winfrey that she contemplated suicide after they split.
She focused on work to get her through the difficult time. Justice later resurfaced to defend himself against allegations of domestic abuse from fans in 2015. He also claimed that Berry and her agent attempted to destroy his image out of bitterness.
Halle Berry’s marriage to Eric Benét (2001 – 2003)
Shortly after her divorce from Justice, she met R&B singer, Benét, after a 1997 concert at Los Angeles’s House of Blues.
There “weren’t any sparks,” she said, according to a July 2002 PEOPLE article. But after the two swapped emails for more than a year, she developed feelings. “I turned to him and said, ‘You know what? I think I love you,’” Berry said.
They became engaged three years later at the Cleaveland premiere of her HBO film Introducing Dorothy Dandridge and were married in January 2001 and raised Bennett’s daughter India together – whom Berry adopted.
Benét was right by Berry’s side when she became the first black actress to win for best actress at the Academy Awards for her role in Monsters Ball. She tearfully thanked her husband during her acceptance speech as he beamed in the audience with pride.
But almost immediately after, rumors swirled that Benét had been unfaithful. Berry said he came clean about his infidelity after she threatened to sue a tabloid for printing what she thought were false stories. Despite the cheating, Berry wanted her marriage to work. Berry likened his infidelity to a sex addict and Benét even entered treatment in an attempt to save his marriage.
People Magazine reported that they announced their separation in October 2003.
“Eric and I have had marital problems for some time now and have tried to work things out together,” Berry said in a statement. “However, at this point, I feel we need time apart to reevaluate our union. We ask that you respect our privacy as we are going through this emotional time.”
Benét later denied that he was not a sex addict and alleged that it was a coverup planned by Berry and her mother.
Halle Berry’s marriage to Olivier Martinez (2013 – 2015)
Berry met fellow actor, Martinez, in 2010 on the set of the film Dark Tide. Three years later, they tied the knot on July 13, 2013, at the rustic Chateau des Conde in Martinez’s native country of France. Berry was pregnant with their son, Maceo, at the time of their wedding.
Berry was shocked but happy to find love again after her second divorce from Benet – as well as her turbulent split from her ex, Gabriel Aubrey.
“She has called him ‘The One,’ ” Sophie Dulac, the president of the Champs-Elysées Film Festival, said at the time. “She’s said she never expected to meet this Frenchman, to fall in love like she has.”
They welcomed their son in October 2013. They celebrated their first wedding anniversary with a romantic vacation in Hawaii. The family was spotted spending quality time together and partaking in fun excursions like parasailing and zip-lining.
Berry shocked fans and apparently even Martinez when she announced their split after two years of marriage.
“It is with a heavy heart that we have come to the decision to divorce,” the couple said in a joint statement to PEOPLE. “We move forward with love and respect for one another and the shared focus of what is best for our son. We wish each other nothing but happiness in life and we hope that you respect our and, most importantly, our children’s privacy as we go through this difficult period.”
Berry later admitted that her divorces made her feel “guilty and responsible” but she’s since embraced the single life and focuses on her life with her children.
