Source: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / Getty
For the second time this week, Halle Berry went into her Instagram comments to set the record straight for an internet troll who picked the wrong day to say something underneath her post on a topic they didn’t really have the facts on.
In a post from three days ago, Berry shared a muted and simple graphic to her Instagram account with a nude background and text that read, “Women don’t owe you sh*t.”
In the comments, users began attempting to connect the dots, all wondering whether maybe Berry was shading her ex, Gabriel Aubry, who the actress dated from 2002 to 2010. If you didn’t know, Berry reportedly pays Aubry $16,000 a month in child support for their 12-year-old daughter, Nahla.
Being one of the people who brought up Aubry in the comments, one user replied to the post and said, “Halle Berry owes alimony and child support to that cr*cker that called her the N-word though.” Responding to the comment, Berry agreed with the user and replied, “And it takes great strength eryday to pay it. And BTW it’s wrong and extortion!”
Following that exchange, another user who was seemingly aiming to bait Berry asked her, “Do you believe that men paying alimony and child support is wrong? And is it extortion?”
Knowing that the questions were an attempt to prove the user’s notion that Berry had a double standard surrounding gender and who should be on the receiving end of child support payments, she expanded on her thoughts in a thorough and clarified message. She said not everyone uses children to claim child support and use the money for expenses that it’s not intended for, but there are definitely people who do. From her perspective, Berry said she’s able to relate to those who have been taken advantage of and extorted when it comes to the child support system, because she thinks at this point it’s “outdated,” and one that can be unfair if it’s abused.
“I’m not going to speak on alimony as I have never asked for it nor have I ever paid it,” the actress began. “However, as for child support, I feel I can speak on it as I’ve been paying it for a decade now. I feel if a woman or man is having to pay support that is way more than the reasonable needs to help SUPPORT the child, I think that is wrong! I understand some parents (man or woman) may need help, but I also feel that in these modern times both men and women have the responsibility to financially take care of their children, work hard, and make every effort to do so. The way many laws are set up, people are allowed to USE children in order to be awarded money to live a lifestyle that not only they did not earn, but that is way above and beyond the child’s reasonable needs, and that is ‘THE WRONG’ and where I see abuse. The laws are outdated and no longer reflect the modern world. This is just my opinion, I clearly don’t own the truth. I can say I’m living it every day, and I can tell you it’s hard. I do totally understand the feelings of those men who feel they are and have been taken advantage of by the system.”
In subsequent comments, after many users showed their support of Berry and let the actress know she didn’t need to explain herself and her family’s dynamic, especially to an internet troll, Berry messaged her fans back and said that it wasn’t about giving the person the satisfaction of her response, but it was an effort to address a problem that she knows affects many families.
“Thank you for the love,” Berry replied. “I appreciate you. I don’t feel like I’m explaining nor do I feel the need. This is an issue that affects so many families and I feel it’s a topic worthy of our discussion!â¤ï¸ ”
It seems like these days Berry has no problem heading into her comments and letting the world know what’s really on her mind. When it comes to those child support payments, the actress has a point about how either a man or a woman could be taken advantage of by their former partner when things between them go south and they share a child. Just keeping it real, who would want their ex living it up all on their dime?
