Halle Berry took her ex-husband Gabriel Aubry to court recently, claiming that he is trying to make their daughter white. She further claimed that Aubry used racial epithets to refer to her (Berry).
Halle Berry and Gabriel Aubry were together from 2005-2010, during which time they had their daughter, Nahla, who is now six years old.
Court documents show that one of the issues Berry brought up against Aubry was that he was straightening and lightening Nahla’s dark, naturally curly hair. Berry, who is herself half Caucasian and half African-American, claimed that this was an attempt to obscure Nahla’s African-American heritage.
Berry said that Aubry had caused Nahla “potential psychological and physical damage,” and could cause her to wonder “why her natural appearance is not good enough.”
To support her claim that Aubry has a problem with Nahla’s black heritage, Berry pointed out that Aubry had used racial slurs about her during their custody battle, and had been reprimanded for them by the judge in the case.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mark Juhas had said of Aubry’s racist remarks:
“The racial epithet made by Petitioner [Aubry] was and is completely and totally unacceptable. Nahla is a child of both of these parents, making this sort of comment about Respondent [Berry] affect the very core and being of Nahla. And when Petitioner attacked Respondent for what she is and who she is, he was attacking Nahla because Nahla is part Respondent. And Nahla is part Petitioner. So when Petitioner did those things, that does serious damage to Nahla because he is attacking her core being, who she is.”
i understand halle berry's reaction
— Charlene (@JustShutUpp) November 25, 2014
Berry and Aubry have already made headlines in the years since they split when Berry wanted to move to France with current husband, French actor Oliver Martinez. Berry and Martinez have a sone together, and Berry wanted to take Nahla to France with her.
Berry told InStyle Magazine that she wanted to take Nahla to France so they could have privacy.
“I don’t want her to grow up around the tabloids,” Berry said. “Because we are followed all the time, she is starting to feel like she is somehow special, and of course she is, but I want her to understand that she’s special because of who she is, not because she was born into this celebrity blender.”
Aubry fought the move in court, claiming it would interfere with the custody arrangement they had in place. In the end, a judge agreed with Aubry. The couple came to an amicable arrangement for custody, but earlier this year Berry was ordered to pay Aubry $16,000 a month in child support.