

Halle Berry Breaks The Internet While Living Her Best Carefree Soft Life At 56: âI Do What I Want To Doâ
Halle Berry is embracing freedom when it comes to her body. In fact, the 56-year-old John Wick: Chapter 3 megastar shared a photo doing so while standing naked on her balcony and sipping out of a wine glass.
"I do what I wanna do," Berry captioned the photo. "Happy Saturday."
The Oscar-winning actress casually dropped one of the most talked about photos of the year and didn't even think twice about it, ultimately cementing what we all know: that she is living her best, soft life off the radar, and being unapologetic about it--something we wish for all Black women.
And even when hit by trolls and criticism from the photo, instead of letting the comment rile her up, Berry responded with a fun fact in a now-deleted tweet: "Did you guys know the heart of a shrimp is located in its head?"
Her social media approved, saying:
Ms. Berry I see you're on 10 today...and I APPROVE. đđđđ pic.twitter.com/c9dKo5zIKZ
â Anastasia Beaverhausen (@river_midnite) April 10, 2023
The best part? She honestly isn't new to casually dropping internet-breaking nude-ish pics. In fact, she shared another on her Instagram a few weeks ago.
Halle Berry on Instagram: "vacay drip⊠âïž"
Up until now, Berry moved at hyper-speed in pursuit of her next love. And now for the first time, she is living at her pace, no matter who doesn't like it. She told Prevention last year, âIn my 30s, I was so focused on career, but I had a desire to have children and be a mother. So I felt I was lacking something,â she explained. âIn my 40s, I took the decade to be at home and have children and be a mom. But my career was lackingâI longed to be back at work.â (Berry has two childrenâNahla, with ex-boyfriend model Gabriel Aubry, and Maceo, with her ex-husband actor Olivier Martinez.)
Then, after a group meditation in India in 2017, she saw a shift. âThe shaman told me I would see things more clearly going forward and would need to react and act. And he was right,â Berry recalled. She began taking more controlâshe fired her agent for pitching her monotonously and began living out a new life. She told AARP in January 2022:
âIt empowered me. Sometimes we know something or see something or feel something, and we talk ourselves out of it. I no longer do that. Weâre all going to get older. Our skin is going to shrivel up and weâre going to look different. I see things changing with my face and body, but Iâve never put all my eggs in that basket. Iâve always known that beauty is deeper than the physical body youâre walking around in."
And living out a new life, she is. Even so much recently to randomly attend a drag queen brunch in LA where she was seen dancing and again, living out loud.
"Ms. Berry I see you're on 10 today...and I APPROVE."
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Featured image by Amy Sussman/Getty Images
Charmin Michelle is a southern native and creative spirit who works as a content marketer and events manager in Chicago. She enjoys traveling, #SummertimeChi, and the journey of mastering womanhood. Connect with her on Instagram @charminmichelle.
Exclusive: Gabrielle Union On Radical Transparency, Being Diagnosed With Perimenopause And Embracing Whatâs Next
Whenever Gabrielle Union graces the movie screen, she immediately commands attention. From her unforgettable scenes in films like Bring It On and Two Can Play That Game to her most recent film, in which she stars and produces Netflixâs The Perfect Find, thereâs no denying that she is that girl.
Off-screen, she uses that power for good by sharing her trials and tribulations with other women in hopes of helping those who may be going through the same things or preventing them from experiencing them altogether. Recently, the Flawless by Gabrielle Union founder partnered with Clearblue to speak at the launch of their Menopause Stage Indicator, where she also shared her experience with being perimenopausal.
In a xoNecoleexclusive, the iconic actress opens up about embracing this season of her life, new projects, and overall being a âbad motherfucker.â Gabrielle reveals that she was 37 years old when she was diagnosed with perimenopause and is still going through it at 51 years old. Mayo Clinic says perimenopause ârefers to the time during which your body makes the natural transition to menopause, marking the end of the reproductive years.â
âI haven't crossed over the next phase just yet, but I think part of it is when you hear any form of menopause, you automatically think of your mother or grandmother. It feels like an old-person thing, but for me, I was 37 and like not understanding what that really meant for me. And I don't think we focus so much on the word menopause without understanding that perimenopause is just the time before menopause,â she tells us.
Gabrielle Union
Photo by Brian Thomas
"But you can experience a lot of the same things during that period that people talk about, that they experienced during menopause. So you could get a hot flash, you could get the weight gain, the hair loss, depression, anxiety, like all of it, mental health challenges, all of that can come, you know, at any stage of the menopausal journey and like for me, I've been in perimenopause like 13, 14 years. When you know, most doctors are like, âOh, but it's usually about ten years, and I'm like, âUhh, Iâm still going (laughs).ââ
Conversations about perimenopause, fibroids, and all the things that are associated with womenâs bodies have often been considered taboo and thus not discussed publicly. However, times are changing, and thanks to the Gabrielleâs and the Tia Mowryâs, more women are having an authentic discourse about womenâs health. These open discussions lead to the creation of more safe spaces and support for one another.
âI want to be in community with folks. I don't ever want to feel like I'm on an island about anything. So, if I can help create community where we are lacking, I want to be a part of that,â she says. âSo, it's like there's no harm in talking about it. You know what I mean? Like, I was a bad motherfucker before perimenopause. Iâm a bad motherfucker now, and I'll be a bad motherfucker after menopause. Know what Iâm saying? None of that has to change. How Iâm a bad motherfucker, I welcome that part of the change. I'm just getting better and stronger and more intelligent, more wise, more patient, more compassionate, more empathetic. All of that is very, very welcomed, and none of it should be scary.â
The Being Mary Jane star hasnât been shy about her stance on therapy. If you donât know, hereâs a hint: sheâs all for it, and she encourages others to try it as well. She likens therapy to dating by suggesting that you keep looking for the right therapist to match your needs. Two other essential keys to her growth are radical transparency and radical acceptance (though she admits she is still working on the latter).
"I was a bad motherfucker before perimenopause. Iâm a bad motherfucker now, and I'll be a bad motherfucker after menopause. Know what Iâm saying? None of that has to change. How Iâm a bad motherfucker, I welcome that part of the change."
Gabrielle Union and Kaavia Union-Wade
Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images
âI hope that a.) you recognize that you're not alone. Seek out help and know that it's okay to be honest about what the hell is happening in your life. That's the only way that you know you can get help, and that's also the only other way that people know that you are in need if there's something going on,â she says, âbecause we have all these big, very wild, high expectations of people, but if they don't know what they're actually dealing with, they're always going to be failing, and you will always be disappointed. So how about just tell the truth, be transparent, and let people know where you are. So they can be of service, they can be compassionate.â
Gabrielleâs transparency is what makes her so relatable, and has so many people root for her. Whether through her TV and film projects, her memoirs, or her social media, the actress has a knack for making you feel like sheâs your homegirl. Scrolling through her Instagram, you see the special moments with her family, exciting new business ventures, and jaw-dropping fashion moments. Throughout her life and career, weâve seen her evolve in a multitude of ways. From producing films to starting a haircare line to marriage and motherhood, her journey is a story of courage and triumph. And right now, in this season, sheâs asking, âWhatâs next?â
âThis is a season of discovery and change. In a billion ways,â says the NAACP Image Award winner. âThe notion of like, âOh, so and so changed. They got brand new.â I want you to be brand new. I want me to be brand new. I want us to be always constantly growing, evolving. Having more clarity, moving with different purpose, like, and all of that is for me very, very welcomed."
"I want you to be brand new. I want me to be brand new. I want us to be always constantly growing, evolving. Having more clarity, moving with different purpose, like, and all of that is for me very, very welcomed."
She continues, âSo I'm just trying to figure out what's next. You know what I mean? I'm jumping into what's next. I'm excited going into what's next and new. I'm just sort of embracing all of what life has to offer.â
Look out for Gabrielle in the upcoming indie film Riff Raff, which is a crime comedy starring her and Jennifer Coolidge, and she will also produce The Idea of You, which stars Anne Hathaway.
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Feature image by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images
Victoria MonĂ©t Opens Up About Feeling âValidatedâ Months After VMAs Turned Her Down To Perform
Victoria MonĂ©t has had an incredible year. Thanks to the success of the widely popular âOn My Mamaâ that went viral, the singer/ songwriterâs Jaguar II album debuted in the top 10 of Billboardâs Top R&B Albums chart. She also went on to headline her own sold-out tour. So, when the MTV VMAs happened in September, everyone was surprised to learn that Victoriaâs team was told that it was âtoo earlyâ for the âSmokeâ artist to perform at the award show. However, a couple of months later, the mom of one received seven Grammy nominations, including âBest R&B Albumâ and âRecord Of The Year.â
Victoria is currently in London and stopped by The Dotty Show on Apple Music and shared how she feels âvalidatedâ after being dismissed by the VMAs.
âIt really does feel nice and validating because, in my head, the reason why I wanted to be a performer at the VMAs or award ceremonies like that is because I felt like I am at the place where I should. I would work really hard to put on the best show that I could, and I was excited to do so,â she said.
âAnd I guess the best way to describe it for me is like when you're like on a sports team, and the coach is like, âNo, you gotta sit this one out.â When they finally put you in, and then you score all these points, and it feels like that feeling. You're like, yes, I knew it wasn't tripping, but I knew I worked hard for this, and so it's been super validating to just have these accolades come after a moment like that, and I know the fans feel vindicated for me.
While her fans called the VMAs out on their decision, the âMomentâ singer kept it cute and is still open to performing at the iconic award show. âI feel no ill towards them because it's just maybe that's just truly how they felt at the time, but I hope their mind has changed,â she admitted.
Aside from recognition from the Grammys, she has also received praise from legendary artists such as Janet Jackson, Kelly Rowland, and Usher.
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Feature image by Amy Sussman/WireImage for Parkwood