Halle Berry has made it clear that she’s not buying into her ex-husband Eric Benét’s sex addiction claim. The former couple, who separated back in 2003, has seemingly found themselves amid a feud.
Reports of Benét’s sex addiction came to light after he reportedly went to rehab for sex addiction in 2002 with claims that his addiction and cheating behavior were the reason why he and Halle separated.
However, Berry wasted no time in speaking her truth. In response, she adamantly called out Benét’s claims, stating that his attempts to blame their divorce on sex addiction were nothing more than a cop-out.
“I had one husband who said he was a sex addict,” the actress, 58, said on Monday’s episode of Dax Shepard’s “Armchair Expert” podcast. “But I don’t f–ing believe that s–t.”
The pair married in 2001 after dating for two years. However, they separated by 2003.
“Eric and I have had marital problems for some time now and have tried to work things out together,” Berry said in a statement to “Entertainment Weekly” at the time. “However, at this point, I feel we need time apart to reevaluate our union. We ask that you respect our privacy as we are going through this emotional time.”
Rumors abounded that Benét had cheated on Berry throughout their marriage because of his alleged sex addiction.
However, Benét, now 57, hit back at the reports in a 2004 interview.
“I am not a sex addict,” he told ABC News. “I am a person who … through a series of emotional events, troubles, challenges, made some really, really stupid, painful mistakes.”
Benét, who had a daughter from a previous relationship, married Manuela Testolini in July 2011. The couple share two daughters Lucia Bella, 12, and Amoura Luna, 10.
The “Die Another Day” star went on to date model Gabriel Aubry from 2005 to 2010, with whom she shares daughter Nahla, now 16. The two had a long and contentious legal battle over custody and in 2014, a Los Angeles Superior Court ruled for Berry to pay Aubry $16,000 a month in child support.
She then began seeing French actor Olivier Martinez, married him in July 2013 and together they welcomed son Maceo later that year. They finalized their divorce in 2016.
Last month, Berry claimed in court documents that she had to shell out over $200,000 in legal fees to fight for custody of their son, including $80,000 that went to “voluntarily” paying for Martinez’s own legal expenses.
Halle Berry’s response to Eric Benét’s sex addiction claim was bold and unapologetic. She firmly asserted that she will not allow her ex-husband’s excuses to define her.
