Halle Berry's daughter Nahla Aubry
doesn't seek out the spotlight, so it's likely she's changed
a lot since the last time you might have seen her. Here's how the
14-year-old has grown over the years. Reportedly, Nahla, who was born in 2008, is
a major "girly girl" — and she's been that way since she was a tiny tot. In 2011, while
promoting her line of signature fragrances, Berry revealed that then-3-year-old Nahla was
the brand's biggest fan. The actress told People, "She's a very girly girl. I have four
fragrances now. She tries them all out and likes them all. She'll definitely
be a fragrance wearer ... I can tell." The following year, Berry gushed about her
daughter's interests to InStyle magazine, saying, "Thank God she's very girly! She loves
makeup and clothes and skincare stuff." Although Berry is clearly
supportive of Nahla's style, the actor still taught her kids
to challenge gender stereotypes, such as the idea that some colors are strictly
for girls. Speaking with a virtual panel in 2021, Berry said that it's up to parents to teach
their children the value of acceptance. "If we want to have a future that's different,
you're right, that's where it starts." When Nahla was born, it seemed like Halle
Berry and her boyfriend, Gabriel Aubry, would go the distance. But the relationship
soured and the pair called it quits when Nahla was 2 years old. Berry's publicist announced
that she and Aubry were committed to remaining friends and co-parents, but the situation
quickly devolved into a bitter custody battle. According to Radar Online, startling
allegations were hurled from both sides. Berry accused Aubry of verbal
abuse, while a source claimed of Berry, "Halle has a particularly nasty temper, and
she can be really controlling and vindictive." In 2012, E! News reported that Aubry and
Berry's new partner, Olivier Martinez, got into a physical altercation, which prompted
both sides to seek protective orders against each other. Later that year, the former couple reached
an agreement over custody of 4-year-old Nahla. The custody war once made headlines again in 2021, when the Toronto Sun reported that Berry's child
support payments to Aubry had been reduced from $16,000 to $8,000 per month. The news came
shortly after Berry blasted her ex online, calling the sky-high payments "wrong" and
"extortion". Despite the nasty feud, Nahla's parents have joint custody, and she appears to
have a close relationship with both of them. Thanks to her mom's discretion, Nahla gets to
enjoy childhood in relative privacy. In 2016, Halle Berry posted an adorable Instagram picture
of Nahla and her brother Maceo with their faces purposely cropped so only their smiles could
be seen. One commenter criticized Berry for obscuring her children's faces — to which
the superstar quickly fired back, writing, "I've noticed you have said this several
times now so let me be clear — I'm not at all ashamed of [my] children. I try to
find creative ways to incorporate them into my feed because they are the biggest
part of my life, but I also work very hard to keep their identities as private as I
can considering they are only children." Sadly, it's not just Instagram trolls and
paparazzi that have targeted the family. As The Huffington Post reports, Berry has
also dealt with stalkers. The actor was so concerned for her daughter's safety that she
considered leaving the country entirely. In 2012, Berry asked the court for permission
to relocate with Nahla to France. The request was ultimately denied
at the behest of Nahla's father. If Nahla eventually decides to lead a public
life, Halle Berry wants to make sure that the youngster is able to do so on her own
terms. In 2019, the actor told "Today," "I've fought really hard to protect their privacy, and I just want them to have
their life and have it be theirs." Berry is committed to nurturing her daughter's
independence in other ways, too. When Nahla was 4 years old, Berry revealed that the little
girl was already choosing her own outfits. When it comes to supporting Nahla's independence, Berry is leading by example. After making her
directorial debut with the film "Bruised," the star told CBS 8 that she took on the
role for Nahla and Maceo. Berry explained, "Having my children now is the reason I'm
even directing because I have to keep going. I have to keep discovering more facets of who
I am. I have to keep modeling for them someone who's alive and very involved in their
career and as a woman, as a Black woman." When the time comes for Nahla to spread her wings, her mother has no intention of
holding her back. Berry told InStyle, "I don't want to be the mom who's crying because
her kids left. I want to be the mom who says, 'Yes, girl, go fly. Go do you, do your life.'" Berry told People about being
bullied at the all-white school that she attended as a mixed-race child.
Now a parent of two mixed-race children, it's clear that Berry wants Nahla to feel
gorgeous and confident in her own skin. In 2014, Berry accused Nahla's father,
Gabriel Aubry, of highlighting and chemically straightening the child's hair. Vogue
reported that Berry was enraged by the move, which she saw as a deliberate attempt to
minimize Nahla's biracial identity. The Daily Mail noted that a court ruled that neither
parent was permitted to change Nahla's hair. Berry is doing everything she can
to nurture Nahla's biracial pride, and she's hopeful that her daughter
will not have to face the discrimination that she endured as a child. In
2017, the superstar told People, "I think my daughter, who is mixed race, might
have issues as she grows with her race. But I feel like her generation, they're not making
it such an issue like my generation was." In 2018, Berry shared an Instagram photo of
Nahla's gorgeous curls cascading down her back. Thanks to her mother's charitable
work with The World Food Programme, Nahla Aubry has gotten some perspective
about the realities of poverty. In 2015, the then-7-year-old joined her mother in Nicaragua
to provide meals for hungry children. Nahla's experience in the Central American country
inspired her to take action and give back even more. When she returned home, the youngster packed
up some of her toys and mailed them to children in Nicaragua. Nahla's heartfelt gift included
dolls and a bicycle, according to ABC News. The kind-hearted kid didn't stop there. Nahla
continued to raise funds for less fortunate children by setting up a lemonade stand in her
neighborhood. In a speech at UCLA, Halle Berry reflected on her daughter's charitable
endeavors. People quoted her as saying, "I'm so proud of her. It's important to teach
your children about caring for children." In summer 2020, Nahla's bad hair day turned
into a bad hair era when her mom was forced to shave part of her head. Apparently, Nahla had
enjoyed a few too many swims in the family pool, which caused tangles that even the strongest
hairbrush couldn't defeat. In an appearance on "The Tonight Show," Berry dished about
the debacle. admitting that letting the then-12-year-old take charge of her own
hair care routine probably wasn't the best move. As they were doing homework,
Nahla asked Berry to touch her hair. "All her hair, which is, like, past her
shoulders, has shrunken up into a tight ball." Berry said it felt like "matted fur." Berry realized there was only one
thing left to do. She said, "I had to shave it off. She was not cool
with that, but it was our only option." Nahla has luckily bounced
back from the hair fiasco. The Daily Mail reported that in early 2022, Nahla
walked arm-in-arm with her mom on the campus of Cal State University to explore the Los Angeles
County High School for the Arts. Nahla's outfit struck a perfect balance of cozy and chic and
leaned into a schoolgirl style. The young star donned a pink and black plaid skirt and a pair
of black, knee-high socks. She paired the look with glossy black Mary Janes and a dark, bulky
jacket. Her long hair featured pink highlights It was also apparent how much Berry
and Gabriel Aubry's daughter had grown – she's already taller than her mom,
who stands at 5'5". If she keeps growing, the teen could end up tall like
her father, who clocks in at 6'2". Eight months later, perhaps inspired
by her daughter's fun hair, Allure noted Berry traded in her long tresses
for an asymmetrical, purple pixie cut. Halle Berry's beauty has been
the subject of an endless media frenzy — but the megastar is candid
about the fact that being beautiful in Hollywood isn't all glitz and glamor. In
a press conference in 2004, Berry admitted, "Being thought of as a beautiful woman has
spared me nothing in life. No heartache, no trouble. Beauty is essentially
meaningless and it is always transitory." A decade later, in a conversation with Huffington
Post, Berry opened up about how she hopes Nahla will approach beauty and identity as
she grows up. She told the publication, "I want her to embrace all of who she is.
I hope she will grow and decide for herself how she wants to define herself in the world.
[...] I want her to feel good about who she is, where she comes from, embrace her little
curly hair and everything about her." Nahla celebrated her 14th birthday in
March 2022. Berry marked the occasion with a heartfelt Instagram post that showed the mother and daughter strolling along the
beach. In the caption, Berry gushed, "14 years ago, I was blessed to give birth
to an 'Earth Angel' and I named her Nahla Ariela! Humbled by your presence and overjoyed
at the same time! Happy Birthday, Nahla boo!" Fans and celebs alike poured into the comments to
wish the teen a happy birthday. With so much love and support in her life, there's no doubt that
Nahla is destined for success. No matter what the future holds for Nahla, though, her mom
will be there to love and guide her. In 2021, Berry told Women's Health that
she often reminds her daughter, "Use your voice. You have a right to be heard. You are loved and accepted just as you
are. Only you define who you are."
