Halle Berry On Teaching Her 7-Year-Old Son To Challenge Gender Stereotypes

In a virtual panel at Sundance Film Festival, Halle Berry touched on teaching her 7-year-old son to challenge gender stereotypes.

Berry directed and starred in the upcoming MMA drama Bruised which is rumored to debut on Netflix later this year.

While speaking with actor and co-panelist Robin Wright, she shared: “I have realized what my job is in raising him. If we want to have a future that’s different, that is where it starts,” she explained while on the subject of her son, Maceo Martinez.

Halle shares Maceo with ex-husband Olivier Martinez, whom she divorced in 2016.

Halle continued, saying: “You made me think of how many conversations I’ve had with him, say, since he’s turned 5 years old, about the differences in boys and girls, and I see how he’s taught to feel like he’s superior, at 5, [to] girls.”

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“I’ve had to really break that down for him and give him a new perspective, and challenge those thoughts and ask him to identify where that comes from, and if he believes that or not and challenge what he’s subconsciously getting from somewhere.”

“I can tell that because we’re having those conversations he is going to grow as a deep thinker on the subject,” Halle continued.

“He’s going to be determined not to just accept it,” she shared.

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“I keep challenging him all the time, like, ‘Well, why is that a ‘girl color’?”

But this is not the first time Halle has discussed challenging gender stereotypes with her son. Last year, she posted a clip of Maceo walking around with her heels during quarantine. And while plenty were quick to hate, she commented back:

“Harmless fun,” she replied. “It’s [hard] on these kids right now. Let’s laugh and have some compassion.”