Everything We Know About Halle Berry's 3 Failed Marriages

The following article includes mentions of domestic abuse.

Halle Berry is as iconic as a Hollywood star can be. She's a serious actor, a sex symbol, and for her appearance in "Monster's Ball," the first Black woman to win an Academy Award for Best Actress. Berry has appeared in many hit movies, including "Boomerang," "The Flintstones," "Die Another Day," "The Call," and "John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum." Despite all this, Halle Berry's storied relationship history has not received a tremendous amount of attention.

Berry herself considers her professional life to be very different from her personal life. "I created my career," the actor told Marie Claire. "I was intentional about that. I knew what I was going to do, and I did it. But I had never been that intentional with my relationships. I was loosey goosey with that. You have to be clear with the universe [or] any old thing will find you."

Having been married three times already, Halle Berry began dating rock and funk musician Van Hunt in 2020, and announced her engagement in February 2026. "Fourth is the new charm," she quipped to the Associated Press. "Of course I'm gonna marry the one I should have always married." That remark alone implied that Berry views her previous marriages as misjudgments rather than meaningful moments in her past.

One of the most common wish-fulfillment fantasies is falling in love with and marrying a favorite celebrity. David Justice is one of the relatively few people who can say they've done that. Justice was a Major League Baseball player who played for the Atlanta Braves, the Cleveland Indians, the New York Yankees, and the Oakland Athletics between 1989 and 2002. In 1992, Halle Berry learned from a reporter that Justice was a fan of hers. Berry decided to give him something that most of her fans would never receive: her phone number.

The romance between Justice and Berry progressed very quickly. However, Justice would later say he was not particularly comfortable with that. "She asked me to marry her after knowing me for five months," Justice told "All the Smoke" in 2025. "I said 'OK,' because I couldn't say 'No.' ... But I don't know if my heart was really into it, but I didn't want to make her feel bad and say 'No,' you know. I was just in the moment." The couple married in 1993, and Justice described his relationship with Berry to that of two 1950s icons: Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe.

In 1996, Halle Berry and David Justice took a trip in honor of their third anniversary, and it didn't go well. "When we were in Bermuda for our anniversary, we both agreed we'd made a mistake with our marriage," Justice told People in 1996. "I was unhappy. She was unhappy. I always felt I was walking on eggshells with her. Everything I did was wrong." Berry was surprised the marriage deteriorated. She filed for divorce the same year.

The split was finalized in 1997, and Berry obtained a restraining order against Justice. She cited an incident where he lingered around their home for hours. According to People, Berry said Justice threatened to "break every one of the f***ing windows and break the door down."

One of the many heartbreaking stories from Halle Berry's life came from around this time. In 1996, the actor revealed she had a relationship with a man who hit her in the head, but never specified her abuser's identity. Justice was incensed by this, asserting his innocence in a 2025 interview and claiming Berry allowed the false rumor to circulate that he was the person who hit her in the head. According to Berry's former boyfriend, Christopher Williams, the assailant was actually Wesley Snipes, star of movies such as "Blade," "White Men Can't Jump," and "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar," as well as the music video for Michael Jackson's "Bad." Berry dated Snipes in the early 1990s, and the two co-starred in Spike Lee's film "Jungle Fever."

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

The tensions between David Justice and Halle Berry extended well past the end of their marriage. During a 2025 interview with "All the Smoke," the former Major League Baseball player explained his expectations for his wife. "I'm looking at my mom, and I'm a Midwest guy, so, in my mind, I'm thinking, a wife, at that time, should cook, clean, and y'know I'm thinking, 'OK, if we have kids, is this the woman I want to have kids with and build up a family with?'" he recalled. "And, at that time, as a young guy, she don't cook, don't clean, and don't really seem like motherly." Justice's comments provoked outrage online.

The "Bulworth" star clapped back at Justice by posting a picture of herself on Instagram at her 59th birthday celebration with the caption: "Phew...! cooking, cleaning and mothering." While Justice and Berry had no children together, they both separately became parents. Justice and his second wife, Rebecca Villalobos, have three children: Raquel, J.R., and D.J. Meanwhile, Halle Berry has two children by two fathers: a daughter named Nahla Ariela Aubry with model Gabriel Aubry and a son named Maceo-Robert with actor Olivier Martinez.

Successful R&B singer Eric Benét met Halle Berry after a concert in 1997. In 1999, his single "Spend My Life with You" reached No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100. It remains his only song to reach the top 40 in the United States. Benét has also garnered critical acclaim, receiving four Grammy nominations, all in R&B categories. However, Benét's personal life is more tragic. In 1992, he and his girlfriend, Tami Stauff, welcomed a daughter named India, but Stauff died in a car accident 16 months later at the age of 25.

Berry and Benét knew each other for over a year before she told him she was in love with him, and the couple married in 2001. While some might value Berry for her fame, Benét was more interested in her as an artist. "I've never really been over-impressed with the celebrity of somebody or even being a celebrity," he told "ALLBLK" in 2021. Instead, he revealed he was drawn to Berry because he considered her a fellow oddball.

Eric Benét and Halle Berry's relationship had its downsides. During a 2002 interview, Berry revealed Benét had cheated on her; the same year, he entered a 35-day program for sex addicts. In 2003, they separated. "Eric and I have had marital problems for some time now and have tried to work things out together," Berry said in a statement at the time (via People). "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."

In 2004, the iconic "Catwoman" star filed for divorce, and Benét requested that Berry pay spousal support as well as his legal fees. Ultimately, the divorce was finalized in 2005, and the two reached a settlement. Berry did not have to pay spousal support, nor did she have to relinquish any assets.

The actor began dating model Gabriel Aubry in 2005, and three years later, Halle Berry's daughter Nahla Ariela Aubry was born. The couple split in 2010, but Aubry had kind words for Berry as the relationship came to an end. "She is, and will forever be, one of the most special and beautiful people that I have ever known, and I am certain that we will continue to have only love and respect for one another," he told Access Hollywood (via People) in 2010. The model said he and Berry cared primarily about their daughter.

During a 2021 interview with "ALLBLK," Eric Benét conceded that his perspective on his marriage to Halle Berry differed from hers. He said there were three sides to the story: his side, her side, and the truth. In 2024, on the "Armchair Expert" podcast, Halle explained that Benét's claim of sex addiction was "bulls***."

Surprisingly, Benét's infidelity has been immortalized on an album by one of the most popular rappers of all time. In the song "Kill Jay Z" from his album "4:44," Jay-Z rapped that he could have ended up like Benét and let an incredible woman slip through his fingers. The lyric is a reference to Jay-Z's much-publicized relationship with Beyoncé. Benét responded to the song via X, saying that he is more than happy with his current wife, Manuela Testolini.

Halle Berry isn't exactly known for making monster movies, but she starred in a killer shark movie called "Dark Tide." While "Dark Tide" mostly flew under the radar, it had a huge impact on Berry's personal life. It was through working on that film that she met her third husband, actor Olivier Martinez, in 2010. Martinez is notable for his appearances in movies such as "Before Night Falls," "Unfaithful," and "S.W.A.T." 

Berry recalled an embarrassing moment she shared with her co-star while filming on a boat. "I got seasick the first day, threw up on Olivier's shoes," she told Entertainment Tonight (via Paramount Press Express) in 2010. "About nine people got taken off the boat because they couldn't handle it." Looking back on the movie shoot in 2012, "Dark Tide" director John Stockwell told Blackfilm.com that Martinez "worked well" with Berry, adding that he helped her get through a challenging nautical production filmed in rough waters.

While "Dark Tide" was still filming, Berry and Martinez started dating. Later that year, the couple traveled to Los Angeles so she could introduce him to her mother, Judith. Martinez proposed to Berry during the 2011 holiday season.

In a 2010 interview with Entertainment Tonight (via Paramount Press Express), Halle Berry gave fans insight into Nahla Ariela Aubry, her daughter with model Gabriel Aubry. "She knows something goes on weird with Mommy because when we leave the house there's always paparazzi and people flashing and it's kinda tense and stressful, so she knows something goes on different with Mommy unlike anybody else," Berry revealed. "I don't think she knows what that is yet."

In addition to the paparazzi, Berry faced a much greater stress: being stalked by a man named Richard Franco. For stalking Berry, Franco was sentenced to 386 days in prison, but he was released in February 2012 after only serving 193 days. Then, a few days following Franco's release, another man, Robert Hoskins, who allegedly threatened to kill Berry, broke out of a psychiatric facility. 

Due to these concerns, as well as Berry's fear that the press in California posed a threat to Nahla's well-being, Berry requested a judge's permission to move to France with Nahla. There, the two would live with Olivier Martinez. Gabriel Aubry objected to Berry's plan to relocate their daughter, and the judge denied Berry's request.

In 2012, Gabriel Aubry dropped Nahla Ariela Aubry off at Halle Berry's home for Thanksgiving. While Gabriel was still in the driveway, Olivier Martinez approached him and the two began conversing. Reportedly, Gabriel pushed Martinez and the two began a physical fight. Both men were hospitalized following the incident. Subsequently, a judge demanded that Gabriel keep a distance of 100 yards between himself, Martinez, Berry, and Nahla. Gabriel was jailed for misdemeanor battery and paid $20,000 in bail.

In 2012 court documents (via Today), Gabriel explained his side of the story, saying, "I suffered numerous injuries as a result of the attack, including a fractured rib, multiple bruises on my face and a number of cuts which required stitches." The model continued, detailing, "It all happened so fast and so suddenly; I did not see Mr. Martinez's actions coming and thus I was not ready for it and was not able to defend myself." After stating his case, Gabriel was able to get a restraining order against Martinez.

Despite all this tension, Berry and Gabriel reached a custody agreement over Nahla in 2014. The "Monster's Ball" star agreed to pay Gabriel $16,000 monthly in child support as well as Nahla's tuition. Berry and Gabriel consented to each pay half of Nahla's medical expenses.

In a 2011 interview with The Sun (via BET), Halle Berry said marriage wasn't for her. "I wish I had known then that I was not the marrying kind," she opined. "It would have saved me a lot of time, heartache and grief over the years. I made all the wrong choices when it came to love. I have been an idiot."

Despite this comment, Berry still married Olivier Martinez in 2013. The couple wed at Chateau des Conde in France, Martinez's native country. Around 60 people attended the event. In an interview with CBS News, Patrice Vansteenberghe, owner of the chateau where the couple stayed, declined to discuss the guest list. Vansteenberghe revealed that the "Die Another Day" star wanted her wedding to be private to the point where she tried to prevent the public from seeing her wedding dress. At the time of the ceremony, Berry was pregnant with her first child with Martinez. Berry was ecstatic at the prospect of becoming a mother again.

Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez's wedding ceremony was picture-perfect. Their son, Maceo-Robert Martinez, was born two months after their wedding, but the marriage would not stand the test of time.

Berry filed for divorce in 2015, citing irreconcilable differences. The next day, Martinez followed suit. The pair released a joint statement. "It is with a heavy heart that we have come to the decision to divorce," the statement read (via E! News). "We move forward with love and respect for one another and the shared focus of what is best for our son." However, it wasn't until 2023 that Berry and Martinez reached a settlement regarding Maceo-Robert's well-being. According to reports (via Hello!), Martinez was "oppositional and unmovable on all major issues relating to Maceo." Upon their custody settlement, Berry was required to pay $8,000 per month in child support as well as 4.3% of her income above $2 million.

In 2020, Berry started dating Van Hunt, a rock and funk musician most known for his cover version of "Family Affair" by Sly and the Family Stone. "I'm a much better mother in this circumstance than I would have been had I stayed in a romantic relationship that didn't serve me and didn't make me feel the way I need to feel as a woman," she told Women's Health in 2021. "I'm reminded that we always have to take care of ourselves first, because I can't be a good mother for my children if I'm not fundamentally happy and feeling good about myself." On a February 2026 episode of "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," Berry confirmed that she and Hunt were engaged.