Born August 14, 1966, in Cleveland, Ohio, Halle Maria Berry was raised by her mother Judith, a psychiatric ward nurse, with her older sister Heidi. Judith's husband, Halle's father, walked out on her family when she was only four years old.

Although living in a single parent household was somewhat tough, Halle's mom managed to move the family out of the inner city neighborhood and into the suburbs of Cleveland. Because the neighborhood was predominantly white, Halle and her sister were treated cruelly because of their dark skin.