Halle Berry recently opened up about her past marriage to singer Eric Benét during an appearance on Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast. The Oscar-winning actress, now 58, revealed her doubts about Benét’s public claims that he struggled with sex addiction. Although Berry did not mention him by name, the context made it clear she was speaking about her ex-husband.
“I had one husband who said he was a sex addict,” Berry shared on the podcast. “But I don’t f–king believe that sh-t.” This blunt statement reflected the skepticism Berry has maintained since the couple’s very public divorce.
Berry and Benét married in 2001, but their union quickly fell apart after she discovered his infidelity. In 2002, Benét entered rehab, reportedly to seek treatment for sex addiction, a move that Berry now seems to dismiss as insincere. They finalized their divorce in 2005.
Eric Benét’s Side of the Story
Despite Berry’s disbelief, Benét has consistently denied being a sex addict. In a 2004 interview with ABC News, the singer reflected on his mistakes, but rejected the label of addiction. “I am not a sex addict,” Benét clarified. “I am a person who… made some really, really stupid, painful mistakes.” He admitted to inappropriate behavior in his marriage but insisted that his actions stemmed from emotional struggles, not a clinical addiction.
Benét’s infidelity became a defining feature of his public persona, even being referenced in Jay-Z’s 2017 song “Kill Jay Z.” The lyrics—”You almost went Eric Benét / Let the baddest girl in the world get away”—made his personal failings a cultural reference point.
Since their split, both Berry and Benét have moved on with their lives. Benét remarried in 2011, while Berry has found happiness with her current partner, Van Hunt. Reflecting on her relationship with Hunt, Berry called it her “longest” and described him as “what I’ve been dreaming of, searching for, needing.”