Halle Berry Claps Back at Ex David Justice’s “Not Motherly” Take with Beach Photos and Birthday Moments

Hi, I’m Kai Montgomery. Oh, brilliant—another ex digs up an old marriage complaint and actress Halle Berry responds with sun, cake, and a perfectly timed Instagram eyebrow.

Here’s the short, factual version: former Major League Baseball player David Justice told the All the Smoke podcast on Aug. 7 that one reason his 1993-1997 marriage to Halle Berry didn’t last was that she “didn’t cook, didn’t clean, didn’t really seem motherly.” Halle didn’t stage a formal rebuttal; she posted vacation photos and birthday moments on Aug. 14 that cheekily undercut his critique, captioning beach snaps, “Phew…! cooking, cleaning and mothering.” The images show her relaxing in a bikini with a glass of wine, spending time with boyfriend Van Hunt, and hugging a young woman who appears to be her daughter, Nahla, which says what words didn’t need to say.

Let’s be blunt: Justice, 59, told the podcast he had “traditional views” about marriage when he was younger and wondered if Berry was the “woman I want to have kids with and build a family with.” He also admitted he wasn’t certain his heart was in the marriage after saying yes to a proposal after five months. Those comments live on the All the Smoke episode and have been reported by outlets including E! News and the podcast itself, making them traceable public remarks rather than anonymous snipes.

Berry, now 59, didn’t pen a rebuttal or launch a PR campaign. Instead she posted a sun-soaked comeback: family time, a birthday cake image and a photo of an envelope labeled “mom,” all on Aug. 14. The timing and tone read as more chuckle than confrontation. They also practically shout a counterpoint: she is, by any reasonable measure, a mother and present in her kids’ lives. Nahla, 17, is her daughter with ex Gabriel Aubry, and Maceo-Robert, 11, is her son with ex Olivier Martinez. Public posts showing her with her children and celebrating her birthday make it hard to take Justice’s “not motherly” line at face value without context.

Berry’s social media clapback fits a pattern: she’s spoken publicly about learning from past relationships and prioritizing what she wants. On TODAY’s Jenna & Friends in February she said she “manifested” her current partner Van Hunt and reflected that after multiple breakups and divorces she finally knew what didn’t work. That’s important background because it frames her response as forward-looking rather than defensive.

Note the sources: Justice’s comments aired on the All the Smoke podcast (Aug. 7) and were covered widely, including by E! News. Halle’s Instagram posts and TODAY interview are public records that reinforce her point about growth, family and agency. This isn’t gossip conjured from whispers; it’s a tidy back-and-forth between a public remark and a public reaction.

Also worth noting: this exchange taps a nasty little cultural vein—women being judged on “motherliness” as though parenting style is a personality defect. Plenty of other celebs have pushed back against similar online momsplaining, from Sophie Turner defending her infant’s privacy to Candace Cameron Bure and Khloé Kardashian blasting judgmental commenters. Berry’s response lands in that same arena: private life, public scrutiny, and a woman who will not be lectured by an ex.

So what did we actually learn? David Justice aired a dated, traditional take about marriage; Halle Berry answered with evidence—photos, family moments, and the kind of breezy, lived-in confidence that renders retro critiques irrelevant. Cue the cake, the wine glass, the arms around her daughter, and move on.

Final grumpy thought: if you’re nursing regrets about an ex, maybe don’t amplify them on a podcast unless you enjoy being trolled by the person you criticized. What to watch next: will Justice clarify or will Berry keep replying with a life well-lived? Stay tuned.

Closing note: And that, dear reader, is why we can’t have nice things.

Sources: Celebrity Storm and All the Smoke podcast, E! News, TODAY with Jenna & Friends, Halle Berry Instagram
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed