At a recent event promoting her latest box office hit, Never Let Go, Halle Berry got real about motherhood.
The Oscar-winning actress opened up about raising her two children—16-year-old Nahla Aubry and 10-year-old Maceo-Robert Martinez.
Berry shared that while she’s fiercely protective, she also wants to be a supportive guide for her kids as they grow.
“I don’t expect them to be clones of me,” she said during the event. Instead, the 58-year-old aims to create an environment where both Nahla and Maceo can explore their own identities.
“My job is to hold space for them, feed them, and provide opportunities, but ultimately, they have to decide for themselves.”
Berry also reflected on a tough moment for her daughter, Nahla, who recently experienced heartbreak. The star admitted how difficult it can be to watch her children go through pain.
“It never gets easier to watch them hurt. She just was in a thing and she got her heart broken,” Berry said of Nahla. “Never gets easier. It’s just holding space knowing that this is all part of growing, right? We’ve all been there and knowing that in six months time, she’s going to forget about it.”
The Union actress continued, “But in this moment, it’s the single most important thing to be rejected and have a breakup and she feels like she’s dying. A little part of me is dying and I can’t tell her that because she’ll just say, ‘Mom, you don’t understand.'”
At the time, Berry said that she did let her daughter know that the situation truly, “sucked,” explaining, “So I just have to say, ‘Yeah, this sucks, right? This sucks balls.’ I know, and you’re hurt. And I know I just have to sit in it with her and that’s really hard to do.”
Despite the challenges of parenthood, Berry is committed to raising independent children.
She expressed excitement for the lives they will lead and the individuals they will become. “I hope I’m infusing them with enough gumption to go out into the world and make their own way,” she shared. “Whatever they choose, I’ll be proud.”
“I am pretty mama bear, but I don’t think I’m too mama bear, because I really, really, really understand that I’m just the vessel to bring these kids here,” the Academy Award-winner stated.
Berry shares her daughter, Nahla, with Canadian model, Gabriel Aubry. She shares her son, Maceo, with French actor, Oliver Martinez.
Never Let Go also stars rising stars, Percy Daggs IV and Anthony B. Jenkins. Never Let Go is now playing in theaters nationwide.
Photo: Halle Berry Instagram; Good Morning America
