Judith Ann Hawkins is an ex-psychiatric nurse who rose to stardom as the mother of actress Halle Berry. Her daughter has won many awards including Academy Award. Likewise, Halle has appeared in dozens of TV movies like Gothika, Monster’s Ball, Catwoman, Die Another Day, and many more.
Although Halle is a quite famous and rich actress in Hollywood, her mother, Judith had a tough life, especially concerning her marital relationship. She was married to an alcoholic husband named Jerome Jesse Berry. And their marriage only lasted for eight years. But, Judith is a strong woman and raised all her kids alone.
To know everything about Judith Ann Hawkins including previous harsh times, current whereabouts, age, and many interesting facts stick to the end of this article. Let’s get into it!
Judith Ann Hawkins Is A Liverpool Native: Her Childhood & Age
The celebrity mother is 83 years old as of 2023. Judith Ann Hawkins was born in 1939 in Sawley Derbyshire, Liverpool, England. Her parents are Earl Ellsworth Hawkins (father) and Nellie Dicken (mother). Similarly, her paternal grandparents were Eugene Allen Hawkins and Bessie C. Spaulding. Moreover, she is the grandchild of Henry Dicken and Ada B. White on her maternal side.
Talking about her ethnicity, she is of English, German, and Irish descent.
Concerning her academic qualifications, Judith Ann Hawkins’ attended Elyria High School and graduated in 1957. Later, she enrolled at the M.B. Johnson School of Nursing.
Judith Ann Hawkins Was A Nurse By Profession: What Is She Doing Now?
Halle’s mother had been a nurse for over three decades. Judith worked at Elyria Memorial Hospital for one year. Likewise, she used to work as a nurse at a Cleveland psychiatric hospital. It was the same place where she met her future husband. There she worked for around 34 years. Since 2013, she isn’t doing anything and considers herself a retired nurse.
On the other hand, her ex-husband was in the army and served in Air Force. Later, he even worked as a bus driver for the Bluebird travel lines for several years.
Judith Ann Hawkins Met Her Ex-Husband At A Hospital: Their Marriage and Wedding
As mentioned above, Judith and her husband Jerome Jesse Berry met each other at their workplace. At that time Jerome used to work as a porter and Judith was a nurse. Besides, the couple came from two different races.
But, without any hesitation, they both accepted each other and took their relationship to another level.
Judith and her ex-husband Jerome started dating in the early 1960s. After staying in a relationship for maybe a couple of months, they walked down the aisle in a private ceremony though it is unclear when exactly the former couple tied the knot.
They Shared Two Kids
In October 1964, Judith and her ex-spouse became proud parents for the first time to a daughter Heidi Berry-Henderson. After a couple of years, in August 1966, their second daughter Halle Berry was born.
As of now, both of their daughters is doing well in their respective career. But, their first daughter Heidi is quite a stranger to the media and hasn’t been seen much. On the other hand, Judith’s youngest daughter i.e Halle is a renowned actress.
Judith Was A Victim Of The Domestic Violence During Her Marriage To Halle’s Father
According to Halle, her mother, Judith suffered several physical cases of abuse throughout the time she was married to Jerome.
The couple eventually ended their courtship almost after 8 years. Judith and her ex-husband Jerome officially divorced in 1970. Though none of them ever publicly spoke about the reason behind their separation.
It was their actress daughter who put forward the details of their messy relationship. In an interview with Daily Mail, their daughter said everything she saw about what happened between her parents when she was a child.
“‘I saw my mother battered, and could not do anything to stop it. My father was tyrannical, lashing out at her for no reason. I felt the effects that had on our family – I’ve experienced what these women have gone through,”
said the Monster Ball actress.
In the other interview, the actress said she, herself, however, was never abused by her father though her sister Heidi as well as their mother Judith were the victim of Jerome. The words she said were,
“The hard part for me was he never abused me. I was dealing with a lot of guilt because I saw my sister go through terrible beatings.”
She further mentioned,
“I felt helpless and like a coward because I didn’t do anything and couldn’t do anything. I spent many of the early years of my life trying to make sense of all that and recover and find my self-esteem.”
Judith with her daughter HalleLikewise, the X-Men star said her father didn’t fulfill the duties after the divorce. Nevertheless, her mother Judith raised them alone as a single parent.
Judith’s Step-Daughter Renee Berry Spoke Out Just The Opposite Of Halle’s Allegation About Their Father
As we all know, the actress has been claiming that her father was an alcoholic in several interviews over the years. On the other hand, her half-sister Renne has a completely different story about their father Jerome Jesse Berry.
Renne describes her father as a “good man.’ Similarly, she also said,
‘My father never beat any of us. He would spank us from time to time, but he never abused us. He liked a drink or two as anyone else does, but he was not an alcoholic.’
Her Former Partner Jerome Jesse Berry Died From Parkinson’s Disease
Judith’s ex-spouse died at the age of 68 on Jan 24, 2003. Jerome passed away at Euclid General Hospital in Euclid, Ohio. The sources suggest that the late celebrity father died of Parkinson’s disease.
The burial took place in Cleveland Memorial Gardens in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio.
Judith Ann Hawkins’ Daughter Understood Father Love But Was A Bit Late
After having a miserable childhood, Judith’s daughter Halle never liked her father Jerome. However, as she grew up she started understanding everything little by little. Unfortunately, she couldn’t make things better before Jerome died.
Halle now seems to have made peace with her late dad as she often uploads pictures of him whenever there is some special day be it father’s day or his birthday. Similarly, in 2019, she posted a photo on Father’s Day’s occasion. She wrote a long caption,
“On this Father’s Day, my heart is full…full of love for my DADDY! This is one of only 2 pictures I have of him, and it has become family gold! While I didn’t have much of a relationship with him while he was here, as he was alcohol addicted and that addiction robbed us of the relationship we were meant to have, I now understand how much he loved me and how vital he was and is to my life!”
Halle’s one of only 2 pictures that she has of him, and it has become family goldHalle further added,
“I miss you today daddy and wherever you are, I know you’re smiling down on me because I feel your love! #HappyFathersDay to the great dads in my life—Olive and Gabe and to EVERY dad out there!”
Details On Judith Ann Hawkins’ Daughter Halle Berry’s Acting Career
Judith’s daughter Halle Berry has done a lot of hard work to be a successful actress. Halle first pursued a career in modeling. After getting famous for the beauty pageant, she took her step into the acting field.
In 1991, Judith’s youngest child made her acting debut in the movie Jungle Fever. In 1992, she grabbed media attention after appearing in the romantic comedy film Boomerang. Later, Halle’s role in the film Flinstones helped her further to gain fame.
Judith’s actress daughter Halle BerryNonetheless, she appeared in dozens of TV shows, and films including Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Monster’s Ball, X-Men: The Last Stand, Drop the Mic, Extant, and many others.
Judith Didn’t Support Her Daughter Halle Berry In Her Early Career: How Is The Mother-Daughter’s Relationship Now?
Before her current successful acting career, Judith’s daughter Halle was financially weak when she first relocated to N.Y.C. Although Berry had some money in her pocket from a modeling gig, she knew it would only support her for a short period.
Halle told The Jess Cagle Interview with PEOPLE’s editor-in-chief, after running out of money, she called her mother to help her but Judith denied doing that. She said,
“I mean three months later, I was out of my cash. I called my mother and asked her to send me some money, and she said no, and that subsequently led to a year of not speaking to her because I was so upset that she wouldn’t help me.”
So, the actress started working hard, and now if she looks back on her mom’s decision, she says, “That’s probably one of the best things she did for me …, if you want to be there, then you work it out.’ And I had to work it out.”
Aside from this, we can assume that Halle and her mother Judith are now on good terms when it comes to their relationship.
Judith Ann Hawkins’ Net Worth
Although we could find out Judith’s career, her net worth is yet to be revealed. Besides, her daughter Halle has been able to list her name as a multi-millionaire. The actress is estimated to have a fortune of $80 million as of 2023.