Halle Berry shared a poignant Instagram post Sunday about her late dad to celebrate Father’s Day, highlighting the power of forgiveness to heal a strained relationship.
The John Wick star shared a rare photo of her father, Jerome Jesse Berry, with whom she had been estranged since her childhood. Her parents divorced when she was only 4 years old.
“On this Father’s Day my heart is full,” she began in the lengthy caption, “full of love for my DADDY! This is one of only 2 pictures I have of him, and it has become family gold!”
Berry continued, “While I didn’t have much of a relationship with him while he was here, as he was alcohol addicted and that addiction robbed us of the relationship we were meant to have, I now understand how much he loved me and how vital he was and is to my life!”
“I miss you today daddy and wherever you are, I know you’re smiling down on me because I feel your love,” she continued. “#HappyFathersDay to the great dads in my life—Olive and Gabe and to EVERY dad out there!”
Berry has been open about her tumultuous relationship with her father, who passed away in 2003.
In an interview for The Actor’s Studio, Berry detailed the abuse she witnessed as a child.
“The hard part for me was he never abused me,” she told host James Lipton. “I was dealing with a lot of guilt because I saw my sister go through terrible beatings. I felt helpless and like a coward because I didn’t do anything and couldn’t do anything. I spent many of the early years of my life trying to make sense of all that and recover and find my self-esteem.”
Despite the pair being unable to patch things up before his death, it seems Berry has moved on a found peace with her father.
