Halle Berry is Catwoman, Leticia Musgrove, or Storm to many, but at home, she's mom.
The Monster's Ball actress first became a mom in 2008 when she welcomed her first daughter, Nahla, and five years later, her family grew with the arrival of her son, Maceo.
She was 42 when she became a mom, and previously told InStyle about how transformative the experience was. She said in 2019: "I felt the sexiest during both my pregnancies. I became a mom at 40. Knowing that someone would always be counting on me made me a better person. I’m more focused and in line with my values and my goals."
"I stopped letting negativity get me down. Plus, I loved being pregnant," she added, and that she was "so alive with my purpose and my femininity. It felt like my body was doing what it was built to do."
However, Halle's journey through motherhood hasn't been without its fair share of complications and heartbreak, as she was embroiled in tense, years-long custody battles following both of her respective splits from her children's dads. Catch up on all we know about Nahla and Maceo, plus their dads.
© InstagramNahla Ariela Aubry, 16
Halle welcomed Nahla on March 16, 2008, with then-boyfriend Gabriel Aubry, a Canadian model she met at a photoshoot for Versace in November 2005; the two lived and raised Nahla together.
In April 2010, it was announced that they split some months before, and a bitter, years-long custody battle ensued, particularly after two years later, Halle expressed her wishes to move to France with then-fiancé, French actor Olivier Martinez, along with four-year-old Nahla.
At the time, she accused Gabriel of essentially white-washing their daughter when, allegedly without Halle's consent, he dyed Nahla's hair blonde and straightened her curls, which Halle perceived to be a move to mask her daughter's African-American heritage.
© GettyTheir legal battle became even messier when Gabriel and Unfaithful star Olivier were engaged in a physical fight, and Olivier was granted an emergency protective order preventing Gabriel from coming within 100 yards of Halle and Nahla, plus Gabriel in turn obtained a restraining order from Olivier.
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In 2014, she was ordered by a judge to pay $16,000 a month in child support, a figure she has since both slammed as "extortion" and managed to slash to a lesser $8,000 a month, plus a percentage from her annual earnings.
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Though Halle has always kept her kids out of the spotlight, Nahla has made occasional appearances on her mom's social media, and for her 15th birthday last year, she wrote on Instagram: "One of the greatest gifts the universe has given me is my daughter, Nahla. She is the sun that never fades and the moon that never wanes!"
© InstagramMaceo-Robert Martinez, 10
Halle welcomed Maceo with Olivier on October 5, 2013, the same year they tied the knot.
She and Maceo's dad split in 2015, however their divorce wasn't finalized until last year, as another custody and child support battle followed their split. Similarly to her deal with Gabriel, as of 2023, Halle has had to pay Olivier $8,000 a month in child support and an additional 4.3 percent of all income she receives above $2 million.
© GettyMaceo reportedly splits his weeks equally between his mom and dad, alternating his time with them on weekends, and Halle is also responsible for covering all of his private school tuition, plus all extracurricular activities.
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© GettyIn a 2021 Instagram post, she spoke out against her child support agreements, sharing a photo that read: "Women don't owe you [expletive]," and writing in the comments section: "It takes great strength [everyday] to pay it. And BTW it's wrong and it's extortion!" plus: I've been paying it for a decade now. I feel if a woman or man is having to pay support that is way more than the reasonable needs to help SUPPORT the child, I think that is wrong!"
She continued: "I understand some parents (man or woman) may need help, but I also feel in these modern times both men and women have the responsibility to financially take care of their children and work hard and make every effort to do so. The way many laws are set up, people are allowed to USE children in order to be awarded money to live a lifestyle that not only did they not earn, but that is way above and beyond the child's reasonable needs."
