Halle Berry’s former husband has faced backlash for publicly discussing the reasons he ended their marriage.
Berry’s initial marriage was to baseball player David Justice in 1993. They stayed together for three years before Justice decided to end their relationship, with their divorce finalized in 1997.
Over three decades after marrying the Oscar-winning actress, Justice has opened up about their split.
“We never had any major issues like that, it’s just that I, because I was young, and had only honestly been in one real relationship before her – my knowledge and my understanding and my wisdom around relationships just wasn’t vast,” he shared on the All The Smoke podcast.
Justice further elaborated on his expectations of what he thought a wife should do at the time, including cooking, cleaning, and being maternal.
He reminisced, “Then I’m thinking, ok, if we have kids, you know, is this the woman I want to have kids with and build up a family with?”
“And at that time as a young guy, she don’t cook, don’t clean, don’t really seem like motherly, and then we start having issues.”
Justice’s comments have sparked debate online, with some criticizing him for ‘shaming’ his ex.
Here’s a retrospective look at the couple’s relationship.
Berry met Justice at a charity baseball game in 1992. Reportedly, a reporter informed Berry of Justice’s interest in her, leading the Union star to pass along her number to the athlete.
The couple dated for several months before becoming engaged.
Justice revealed that Berry proposed to him, leading to their New Year’s Day 1993 wedding.
Reflecting on their engagement, Justice mentioned on All The Smoke podcast: “She asked me to marry her after knowing me for five months.”
“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.”
Justice left Berry in February 1996, and their relationship soured further over time.
The actress filed a restraining order against him, citing concerns for her ‘personal safety and well-being,’ according to The Root. Justice denied posing any threat to Berry.
Their divorce was finalized in June 1997.
Following her divorce from Justice, Berry began a relationship with Eric Benét.
The couple wed in 2001, and Benét was present during Berry’s historic Oscar win in 2002, as she became the first Black woman to receive the Best Actress award.
However, their relationship faced challenges following her win, as reports emerged of Benét’s infidelity, leading him to seek treatment for sex addiction. They separated in 2003 and finalized their divorce two years later.
Berry eventually remarried French actor Olivier Martinez in 2013, and they welcomed a son that same year.
Unfortunately, their marriage also ended, with the couple divorcing in 2016.
In addition to her son with Martinez, Berry has a 17-year-old daughter with ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubry.