David Justice explains why he left Halle Berry: ‘She didn’t cook or clear,’ and he now says therapy might have saved the marriage | MLB News

Halle Berry Image Credit: Vinnie Zuffante/Getty

Former MLB star David Justice has spoken intimately about his temporary marriage to Halle Berry, almost three a long time after their cut up. In an Aug. 7, 2025 interview on the “All the Smoke” podcast, Justice mentioned his personal expectations of a “traditional” spouse formed how he considered the relationship in the mid-Nineteen Nineties. He added that if the couple had identified extra about counseling, they “probably could have made it.”Justice married Berry in 1993 and the pair separated in 1996. The divorce was finalized in 1997. He informed hosts Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson that he was younger, had restricted relationship expertise, and assumed a spouse ought to cook, clear, and present sturdy maternal instincts. He mentioned he didn’t see these traits in Berry at the time and started to query whether or not they need to begin a household. “She don’t cook, don’t clean, don’t really seem like motherly,” he recalled considering again then.The former All-Star additionally mentioned their work schedules saved them aside for lengthy stretches whereas Berry filmed initiatives in several international locations. Looking again, he believes therapy might have helped them deal with time aside and mismatched expectations. “If we knew about therapy, we probably could have made it,” he mentioned.The feedback landed shortly on-line. Entertainment shops highlighted the remarks, and the “cook and clean” line drew a pointy response. Several posts criticized the remark as outdated, whereas others famous that {couples} evolve and that Justice admitted his views at the time had been slender and formed by youth. Coverage from Yahoo Entertainment reiterated that Justice framed his feedback as reflection, not as a brand new assault on his ex.Justice additionally touched on a long-running rumor that he was the unnamed ex accused of abusing Berry. He has denied that for years, and in 2015 he thanked Berry on Twitter for “quashing the rumors,” although she didn’t title him instantly. The podcast section centered largely on his personal progress and on how little he understood about relationships in his twenties.Several shops amplified one further declare from the dialog. Justice mentioned Berry proposed after about 5 months of courting and that he agreed though he was uncertain if his coronary heart was absolutely in it. He advised the choice was rushed and that youth and inexperience performed a component. While that element drew recent headlines, the bigger theme of the interview was remorse over not looking for assist sooner and not understanding the best way to steadiness two demanding careers.Neither Berry nor her representatives have responded to the new feedback. She has spoken in the previous about refusing to remain in relationships that don’t really feel proper and about making selections that shield her well-being. For now, Justice’s interview has reopened debate about what {couples} owe one another, how gender roles have shifted, and how therapy can change outcomes when each companions are keen.Key timeline

Justice’s remarks land in a tradition that talks extra overtly about therapy than it did in the mid-90s. The response reveals how shortly public opinion pushes again on outdated concepts about what a marriage ought to appear to be. Whether the dialog fades or not, the interview presents a transparent takeaway from Justice himself. He says maturity and counseling might have modified the story. He additionally accepts that he didn’t have both when it mattered.