Halle Berry expertly claps back after ex reveals ‘annoying' reason he left her

Metro

a day ago

Halle Berry has not-so-subtly responded to ex-husband David Justice's comments about why their marriage didn't work out, after his remarks sparked backlash.
The Monster's Ball actress was married to the former professional baseball player, both 59, for four years between 1993 and 1997.
During an appearance on the All the Smoke podcast, the athlete lifted the lid on their relationship and why it eventually ended – with the Oscar-winnerlater trolling his criticisms on social media.
'She asked me to marry her after knowing me for five months,' he reflected.'I don't know if my heart was really into it. But I didn't want to make her feel bad and say no.
'I was just in the moment, it caught me off-guard. We're getting along, we're vibing, again, we're only five months in, we're still in the honeymoon stage.'
He then shared that he ultimately decided to leave Berry because she didn't cook and clean like his mother did, a comment that his earned disbelief and outrage online.
'I'm looking at my mom, I'm a Midwest guy. So in my mind, I'm thinking a wife at that time should cook, clean, and I'm thinking OK, if we have kids, is this the woman I want to have kids with and build a family with?,' he continued.
'And at that time, as a young guy, she don't cook, don't clean, don't really seem like motherly.
'Eventually, I realize this isn't the person I wanted to spend my life with.'
Berry clapped back with an effortless response, while sharing a glimpse into her recent birthday trip to paradise, with current boyfriend Van Hunt.
Alongside a string of idyllic photos showing the pair enjoying their getaway – and a birthday card from her two children – she simply wrote: 'Phew…! cooking, cleaning and mothering.'
Berry's tongue-in-cheek response comes after fans were left shocked by Justice's comments and made their feelings known on social media.
X user @macaiyla wrote: 'Men are so annoying ffs its never enough. You get a hard working woman and shes not motherly enough for you. You get a woman who stays at home and they're useless golddiggers. There is no winning with this gender its like talking to a wall.'
@nwajiohaphilip agreed: 'Sounds like he was looking for a housekeeper, not a partner.'
@_mstrdom posted: 'Men are so annoying. They're looking for their mother. We're in 2025.'
But some people defended the regressive take, with X user @petaitoksf1 writing: 'Well that's his expectation and if she ain't what he's looking for then that explains why he's the ex. Neither is wrong though.'
@AMB0915 agreed: 'You're allowed to have expectations, preferences etc but let that be known to the person you're going to marry prior. And they don't have to meet them if they don't want to. Glad Halle berry is happy with someone else because services exist for the above.'
Elsewhere in the chat, Justice also reflected on the fallout to their marriage ending, suggesting: 'It wasn't really a lot of negative attention until I decided to leave her in 1996.'
'Honestly, we probably could have made it, if I knew about therapy.
'It's just that I, because I was young, had only been in honestly one real relationship before her. My knowledge and my understanding and my wisdom around relationships just wasn't vast.'
Famously, Berry told People in 1996 that an ex-boyfriend punctured her eardrum while hitting her. At the time, many believed she was referring to Justice, something he always denied.
While she eventually set the record straight and publicly confirmed it wasn't Justice, he resented she didn't do it sooner, stating: 'She let the world think it was me. I thought she was dead wrong for that.'
Still, Justice acknowledged he could have been more empathetic when splitting from Berry.
He added: 'I look back on that situation, and I'm like, that girl really did love me. And I can see why she would be so mad at me. Because imagine if you really love somebody and they tell you they want to break up, and there's nothing you can say to get them back. That had to have been tough on her.
Today, Berry shares her life with musician Van, her long-term partner. More Trending
Her romantic history includes two high-profile marriages to French actor Olivier Martinez from 2013 to 2016, and to singer Eric Benét between 2001 and 2005.
She is also a devoted mother of two: 17-year-old Nahla, whom she co-parents with ex-partner Gabriel Aubry, and 11-year-old Maceo, her son with Martinez.
Justice, meanwhile, has built a steady family life far from the headlines. He has been married to his wife, Rebecca, for 24 years, and together they are raising two children.
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This article was first published on August 11.
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