Halle Berry’s ex-boyfriend has been banned from straightening their daughter’s hair after she took the matter to court.
The actress accused her former partner — male model Gabriel Aubry — of changing Nahla’s hair in an attempt to deny her African-American heritage.
Court documents reveal that Berry believes Aubry’s alleged actions could cause “potential psychological and physical damage” to the six-year-old. A judge has now imposed an order banning both parents from altering her hairstyle.
The Los Angeles court also heard that 39-year-old Aubry — who is French Canadian — allegedly used racial slurs to refer to Berry, who he dated for five years until 2010.
The Oscar-winning star was not present at the hearing on Monday, but in written testimony said: “I strongly feel that Gabriel’s same underlying attitude [that motivated his use of racial slurs] is at the root of the changes which only he could have been causing to our daughter’s hair.”
She added she had obtained scientific evidence to prove she was not “delusional”, as Aubry had claimed, “about the extensive damage and the changes to the texture and colour of Nahla’s hair”.
Berry said she first noticed the changes in August 2013 and submitted before and after photos of her daughter to the court. She had also had strands of Nahla’s hair analysed to establish whether it had been straightened and dyed blonde.
Berry, 48, last year married French actor Olivier Martinez, 48, with whom she has a one-year-old son. She shares custody of Nahla with Aubry, but is seeking to reduce the child support she pays him from $16,000 (Dh58,767) a month to $3,800. In the court papers, she said she wanted to continue to work with him in the interests of their daughter, but added: “Until Gabriel recognises the meaning of joint legal custody and how it is implemented, it appears that the court will be my only resort to safeguard Nahla’s best interests.”
The actress, whose mother is white and from Liverpool and whose father is African-American, said previously that she “feels like” her daughter is black — but will allow Nahla to make up her own mind on how she views herself.
