Halle Berry Opens Up About Her Multiple Divorces and Celibacy Prior to Romance with Van Hunt

Halle Berry shared her experience of being celibate for several years after enduring three high-profile divorces.

“I was solo and celibate for four years,” Berry, 59, who began dating boyfriend Van Hunt in 2020, told The Times in a profile released on Friday, January 30. “I had to really take time to be by myself to grow, reflect, and understand my worth.”

She reflected on the possibility of remaining alone. “I concluded that if the right person didn’t come along, I would be okay on my own. I have enough. I have my children and my career. That’s more than sufficient. I consider myself fortunate.”

Berry was previously married to baseball player David Justice from 1993 to 1997 before her marriage to Eric Benét, which lasted four years and ended in 2004. She then found love with Gabriel Aubry, with whom she shares 17-year-old daughter Nahla. Her third marriage was to Olivier Martinez, spanning from 2013 to 2016, and they share a 12-year-old son, Maceo.

“I have two beautiful children, and I’m proud of that,” Berry stated. “The relationships with their fathers weren’t meant to be, but these kids were definitely meant to be.”

Berry acknowledged that she “would not have been ready” for Hunt, 55, prior to her divorces. “I needed to go through trials and adversity to appreciate someone like him,” she shared. “I used to be like a moth drawn to a flame. But I’ve evolved from that.”

Despite their deep bond, Berry experienced intimacy challenges with Hunt due to painful sex.

“It felt as if I had razor blades inside me,” she recounted. “Finally, with this incredible man in my life, I thought that aspect was aligning with me, but then I encountered this issue and thought, ‘Something is very wrong here.’”

Berry eventually consulted a doctor, suspecting she had a sexually transmitted disease, only to be diagnosed with perimenopause. “So, I asked the doctor, ‘If it’s not herpes, then what could it be?’ He admitted he didn’t know,” she continued. “That’s when I dived into a journey of self-exploration.”

While Berry candidly discussed her personal life, she also emphasized that there’s much more to her than her appearance. “It can feel like I’m dying a thousand deaths. Accepting such compliments becomes difficult,” she explained. “Year after year, when you’re striving for more, it’s frustrating to be reduced to just a pretty face. I’m like, ‘Hey, hold on.’”

She added: “I say, ‘Thank you.’ And I smile. Because if you respond otherwise, you come off as rude.”