Halle Berry Thought it Was Impossible to Give Birth at Her Age, but Then Became a Mom at 41, and Again at 47
Experts believe that, biologically speaking, 20 is the optimal age for conceiving and carrying a child. However, for many, motherhood comes later in life. Halle Berry, for example, gave birth for the first time at 41, and believes she is a better mother at her age than if she were 20. Let’s look at the actress’ story, how she came to be a mom after 40, and how children changed her priorities in life.
Halle Berry boasts a successful career born through hard work and determination. She is the star of such box office hits as X-Men, Catwoman and John Wick: Chapter 3, and won an Oscar for her role in Monster’s Ball. However, fans have always been interested not only in her work, but her personal life as well: she has been in many relationships with Hollywood celebrities and went through three divorces.
She first married David Justice, and their relationship lasted from 1992 to 1997. Her second husband was Eric Benét, but they split up in 2005. The actress then dated Gabriel Aubry, with whom she had a daughter, Nahla Ariela, but their relationship ended in 2010. In 2013 Berry said “yes” for the fourth time, this time to Olivier Martinez, with whom she had a son, Maceo Robert, becoming a mother for the second time at the age of 47. In 2016, the couple divorced.
Despite the divorces and separations, Halle is happy to have two beautiful children. She believes that being a mom is the best job in the world. She reads parenting books and teaches her kids to always be themselves, and “to march to the beat of their own drum.”
The actress admitted that she enjoyed being pregnant both times, although she had no idea it was possible at her age: “Had I started earlier, I probably would have had five children”. However, Halle feels that she is more prepared to be a mother at 41 than if she had given birth to her first child at 20.
At 30, she was focused on her career, and she had no desire to have children or to be a mother. But then she realized she was missing something. She needed something more than just her daily trips to the set, and children became that missing something.
Motherhood has changed Holly’s life in many ways: “Children shift your priorities and now I have a greater purpose for being here.” Berry admitted that, though she enjoys acting, she would give up everything to, for instance, spend time with her daughter, because her children are “the center and love of her life.”
According to the actress, her kids don’t care who she is outside the home. To them, she is just their mom, not a superstar: “My son has been saying my full name really loudly in public like, ’Halle Berry, can you pass me the ketchup?’ He knows it gets a reaction from people, but he can’t quite figure out why.”
Halle doesn’t just share touching and meaningful revelations about her children; sometimes, mishaps do occur in the process of raising them. For example, one time her daughter Nahla didn’t comb her hair well enough, so the actress had to “shave” some of it off, because it had “shrunken up into a tight ball that felt like matted fur.”
She also once posted a video of her son climbing the stairs in heels. The comment section immediately filled up with judgement towards the celebrity mom, to which the actress calmly replied that Maceo is just a kid who wants to have fun.
Like many working mothers, Halle supports other women in their desire to pursue careers so that they can be an example of independence and resilience for their children: “You don’t ever balance it completely. It’s a constant struggle of a little more time there, a little more time here, and feeling a little bit guilty all the time.” Whenever the actress has some free time, she spends it all with her kids.
The actress reveals that she spent almost 10 years in “mom mode.” When her son went to kindergarten, she finally felt that she could challenge herself again and prove that she was capable of following her passions, taking risks, and playing characters that make her feel alive.
Her children are Halle’s greatest pride and joy, but she’s not giving up on herself, either. After a series of romantic failures, Berry felt guilty and responsible for her past relationships. Still, the actress did not allow herself to give up on love. Since 2020, Halle has been dating Van Hunt, and seems happy in her new relationship. The only thing she regrets is that she didn’t meet Van sooner, to have been able to be with him longer.
The actress’ happiness is in her own hands, and she does everything she can to make her loved ones feel comfortable: “I have two children with two different fathers. Van has a son. As a mom living this modern, blended family, all I care about is that my kids are OK with the decisions I’m making.” Her life after turning 50 is in “full throttle,” as she has everything she could possibly want: children, a career and love. She is also keen to show that age shouldn’t matter so much, and that women only get better with each passing year.
What do you think is the best age for having your first child?