Singer Eric Benét and actress Halle Berry appeared to be the it couple of the early 2000s. After meeting in 1997, the pair got engaged three years later and officially tied the knot in January 2001.
However, just as things seemed they couldn’t get any better, rumors began swirling that Benét had been unfaithful to the “Monsters Ball” star and was even a sex addict. And after several attempts to save their marriage, Berry and Benét split in 2003. Their divorce was finalized in January 2005. They didn’t share any children biologically, but Berry did adopt Benét’s daughter India, whose mother died in a car accident.
Like any union, the divorce took a toll on both parties. During a recent appearance on ALLBLK’s popular docuseries “A Closer Look,” which premiered on Thursday, Feb. 25, the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter opened up about “the truth” behind his failed marriage with the actress.
“I’ve never really been overly impressed with the celebrity of somebody or even being a celebrity. So, to have a disposition like that and then, regardless of the fact that you’re in a relationship with Halle Berry, for me, its was just, I’m in a relationship with this artistic person, who’s — in a lot of ways — is weird like me, and that’s cool,” the singer explained. “But no one can prepare for what happens when you’re trying to still figure out how to deal with each other and maneuver through your relationship when you’re living in this fishbowl with this huge spotlight on it.”
He continued, “When things are happening in the relationship, there’s always three truths. There’s her truth, my truth, and then the truth. Each one has some similarities, but each one is different.”
Benét said when it came to disclosing information about their relationship, whether it was about the breakup or the divorce, he preferred to “keep the private business private.” He added, “I just try to sum it. We met. We fell in love. I made some mistakes. She made some mistakes. We broke up.”
When asked about his state of mind when everything was going on, Benét admitted that any man who says his ego isn’t affected by a breakup is essentially lying. “A lot of my own identity was no longer autonomous to me,” he said.
After their divorce, Benét married Canadian businesswoman Manuela Testolini. The pair share two daughters, Lucia Bella Benét and Amoura Luna. Berry herself has had several high-profile relationships, including ones with former Major League Baseball player David Justice and French actor Olivier Martinez.
“A Closer Look” the Eric Benet edition is available only @WatchALLBLK, but readers can check out the trailer below.
