Halle Berry 'refuses' to be ashamed of her age
Hollywood actress Halle Berry "refuses" to be ashamed of her age - declaring she is "more valuable now than ever" as she approaches her 60th birthday.
Halle Berry "refuses" to be ashamed of her age and feels "more valuable now than ever" as she approaches her 60th birthday.
The Hollywood actress - who will hit the milestone in August - has opened up about the difficulties facing women in Hollywood as they get older, but she's adamant she won't accept the premise that female stars are "no longer valuable" as the years go by.
She told The Times newspaper: "Why do we have to be ashamed of the most natural thing that happens to all of us? I’m not having the problem; society has the problem.
"They want to put me in a box that says, you are now a certain age; you’re no longer as valuable as you used to be. I refuse - refuse - to accept it because I know I’m more valuable now than ever. Wiser, smarter, stronger, better ...
"It’s a privilege to age but it’s been so stigmatised, especially for women. If they talked about men’s ages too, fair game. But they don’t. It stacks the cards against us.
"I don’t know how old these male actors are because their age doesn’t precede their name. With us, it always does. Soon it will be ‘60-year-old Halle Berry’."
Halle went on to add: "If I had this brain and this wisdom when I was 25, I’d be dangerous. But this comes only with time and age."
The Oscar-winner also admitted she struggles to accept compliments when they are based on her looks.
She told the publication: "I die a thousand deaths. It becomes a hard compliment to accept. Year after year after year. When you’re striving to be more. I’ve worked really hard as an actor, and still to be reduced to a beautiful face it’s like, hey, wait a minute. Come on' ...
"I say: 'Thank you.’ And I smile. Because you’re an a**hole if you say anything else."
It comes after Halle has found love again in her 50s.
Halle has been dating Van Hunt for more than five years and the singer recently admitted his partner had turned down a marriage proposal from him.
Speaking to Today.com, Van said: "I put out the proposal, and it’s still on hold as you can see. It’s just out there floating. You know, maybe you can encourage her."
The actress - who was previously married to David Justice, Eric Benet and Olivier Martinez - insisted she doesn't feel the need to "validate" their love in a formal way.
Halle added: “Well, I’ve been married three times. Van has been married once, and so no, we don’t feel like we have to get married to validate our love in any way. We don't."
However, the Oscar-winning star - who has Nahla, 17, with former boyfriend Gabriel Aubry and Maceo, 11, with Olivier - admitted she thinks she and Van will get married at some point.
She said: "I think we will get married just because, out of the people I’ve been married to, this is the person I should have married.
"And I feel like I should, we should get married, but it’s not because we feel like we have to. I think it’s something that we would like to do just because we want that expression."
