Halle Berry Takes Ex Gabriel Aubry to Court Over Daughter's Hairstyle
Halle Berry's ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubry straightened six-year-old Nahla's curly hair, infuriating Berry who has taken him to court for allegedly trying to make their daughter less African-American, reports The Independent.
Halle claims not only did Aubry straighten Nahla's hair, he had the color lightened-hair styling not needed or appropriate.
In court documents, Aubry is accused of inflicting "potential psychological and physical damage" to Nahla.
"I want both Gabriel and I to make decisions together that affect our daughter, her growth, her development and her general welfare," Berry stated in the documents, adding the hair change could cause their daughter to wonder "why her natural appearance is not good enough."
"I continue to hope that Gabriel and I can find a way to work together to be successful co-parents. It was with regret that I concluded that I had to seek the court's intervention on these issues, but until Gabriel recognizes the meaning of joint legal custody and how it is implemented, it appears that the court will be my only resort to safeguard Nahla's best interests," Berry continued.
Berry's lawyer, Steve Kolodny, and Aubry were present at Monday's court appearance. A judge ruled that Aubry nor Berry were permitted to change Nahla's physical attributes from their natural state.
The "Kidnap" actress told Ebony magazine in 2011 that she "feels like" Nahla is black, although it is important her daughter decide without influence how she perceives herself.
"I'm not going to put a label on it," Berry told Ebony magazine. "I had to decide for myself, and that's what she's going to have to decide - how she identifies herself in the world. And I think, largely, that will be based on how the world identifies her. That's how I identified myself.
"But I feel like she's black. I'm black and I'm her mother, and I believe in the one-drop theory."
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