When anyone thinks “Hollywood legend,” one name surely comes to mind pretty quickly: Halle Berry. The Academy Award-winning actress has been gracing the big screen since Spike Lee's Jungle Fever in
1991, and she continues to absolutely stun in every role she takes on. The actress and mother of two also knows how to have fun with social media and, occasionally, shares some sweet moments from her personal life.
This year, in particular, she’s been sharing photos from her relationship with her new boyfriend, Van Hunt. On Saturday, May 15, she shared this photo of the two of them sharing a kiss with the caption, “we do this thing called whatever the f*ck we want ! ?”
He was her date at the 2021 Oscars, where they looked like this ?:
In August 2020, she posted this cryptic photo of herself playing footsie with a mysterious man. Then, we weren’t sure of the identity of the person she was waking up with in Vegas.
“Waking up Vegas! ☀️,” she wrote. “Thank you for all the beautiful birthday wishes from my friends and my very supportive and loyal fans! You ALL helped to make my birthday extra special ♥️.”
She announced his identity in September 2020 when she wore a shirt with the name “Van Hunt” on the front. She still hasn’t shared how the two of them met.
“now ya know... ♥️??,” she wrote.
A source told Us Weeklythat since the two got together last year, things have really taken off.
“She’s had some negative experiences [with men] but Van has taught her to love again — and love herself,” the insider adds. “He’s a wonderful, caring man. Their chemistry is through the roof.”
Who, exactly, is this man who has Berry professing her love all over social media?
He’s an Ohio native.
Per Last.fm., Hunt was born in March 1970 (making him 50 years old) and was raised by a single mother in Dayton, Ohio. His father was a factory worker and a friend of Ohio Players drummer Jimmy “Diamond” Williams. Hunt started playing drums at age 7 and the saxophone at 8. Then, he picked up bass and the keyboard and played guitar in a rock band called Royalty.
He attended Morehouse College in Atlanta before leaving to start his music career.
He is a Grammy-winning artist
Hunt, who is technically named Van Hunt Jr. (he is named after his grandfather) was s nominated for the Best Urban/Alternative Artist at the Grammys in 2006, and he took home a Grammy the next year for a song with John Legend, Joss Stone, and Nikki Costa for R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals; it was a cover of a song called “Family Affair” by Sly and the Family Stone.
He reunited with his band this year for the first time in 1o years:
He’s a dad
Like Berry, Hunt is fairly private about his personal life, but he does have one teenage son named Drake, who appears to be pretty musically talented himself. Earlier this year, he shared that the two had performed together:
“that one time i got to sing w/my kid0. we performed ‘Bring It On Home to Me’ by Sam Cooke (Lou Rawls on background vocals). after havn the nerve 2 ask me if he could sing the Sam Cooke part and receiving the evil eye, he proceeded to sing the Lou Rawls part AS IF IT WERE the lead part. he stole the show from his ol' man and never gave it back ;-)”
And, of course, he really loves his girlfriend.
Happy for these two.