It appears that Halle Berry is in a new relationship.
On Tuesday, the Academy Award winner posted a black-and-white photo of her with music producer Alexander Grant, also known as Alex da Kid. The couple appear to be embracing in the photo, while Berry captioned it with the message: “My balance.”
This will be Berry’s first official relationship since her divorce from actor Olivier Martinez in 2016. Here’s what you need to know about her and Alex da Kid:
1. They’ve Reportedly Been Dating for 2 Months
Berry’s Instagram post was the first time the couple have acknowledged their relationship in public. According to E! News, an insider close to the couple revealed that they got together two months ago. “They have been seeing each other for about two months and met through friends in the industry,” the insider adds.
A second insider confirms that Berry, 51, and Alex Da Kid, 35, have been together since July, and were spotted having dinner together at a Los Angeles restaurant called Il Cielo this summer.
As was previously mentioned, this is the first time Berry has gone public with a romance since finalizing her divorce from Olivier Martinez in December 2016. The two were married for two years, and have a son named Maceo Martinez. They released a joint statement after their divorce that read:
It is with a heavy heart that we have come to the decision to divorce,” the statement read. “We move forward with love and respect for one another and the shared focus of what is best for our son. We wish each other nothing but happiness in life and we hope that you respect our and, most importantly, our children’s privacy as we go through this difficult period.
2. Alex Da Kid Has Produced for Artists Like Eminem & Rihanna
Alex Da Kid discovered his passion for music at age 19, when a friend introduced him to the editing software FruityLoops. After a few years making music in his hometown of Bristol, England, Alex broke through with a production credit on the 2008 Michelle Williams single “Hello Heartbreak.”
Universal Music Group manager Jesse Rivera spoke about Alex to HitQuarters, saying “It hit me right away that this dude had something different to bring to the table … He wasn’t just straight up hip-hop – his sound was very different and transcended genres.”
Since then, Alex has worked with some of the biggest singers and rappers in the industry. He produced the B.o.B single “Airplanes“, which peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, the Dr. Dre single “I Need a Doctor“, which peaked at number four, and the Eminem and Rihanna duet “Love the Way You Lie“, which peaked at number one.
Other artists Alex has worked with include Nicki Minaj (“Massive Attack“), Lupe Fiasco (“Words I Never Said“), and Imagine Dragons (“Radioactive“).
3. Tabloids Have Suggested the Relationship Won’t Last
As is usually the case when a relationship is announced, tabloids have claimed that they have evidence to suggest that things won’t last. “She’s smitten with him,” an insider told The National Inquirer, “But friends know Halle makes such poor choices in men.”
Berry has been married four times over the past two decades. She was married to baseball player David Justice from 1993 to 1997, and then to singer Eric Benét from 2001 to 2005. The latter ended bitterly, as Benét reportedly cheated on Berry during their marriage.
She went on to have a relationship with Canadian model Gabriel Aubry (pictured above), which also ended in dispute, as they battled over the custody of their daughter Nahla.
In addition to Berry’s track record, the insider claims that Alex da Kid may have a wandering eye: “He’s got a gaggle of girls dogging his every step.” None of this has been confirmed or denied by Berry’s representatives.
4. Alex da Kid Was Romantically Linked to Cheryl Cole in 2011
Alex da Kid attends the TDI Awards on April 25, 2017.
This isn’t the first time Alex da Kid has been romantically linked to a celebrity. In 2011, Daily Mail reported that the producer cozied up to singer Cheryl Cole while working on her album A Million Lights. The former Girls Aloud member tweeted an “I love you” message to Alex, to which he replied with “I love you too…”
A source close to Cole said: “Cheryl and Alex have struck up a great friendship and have been living in each other’s pockets for the past week… It hasn’t been all work though – they’ve enjoyed some play too. If the music is going to work, then they need to find their own chemistry.”
Cheryl Cole in 2015. (Getty)
The true nature of their relationship was never clarified by either party, but an alleged friend of Cole’s told Digital Spy that “She just wants to focus on putting out the best record yet. Too much time was spent worrying whether a certain romance was going to happen.”
Since 2016, Cole has been in a relationship with One Direction singer Liam Payne. The couple have a child, Bear Payne, together.
5. Berry Said She’s Tired of ‘Casually Dating’ After Her Divorce
Celebrate Halle Berry’s birthday with her best and hottest photos. No matter what age, Berry never fails to bring the sexy. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
In June, Berry talked to Page Six about frustating it was for her to maintain a private life. “If I am having dinner with a friend, and a man comes up and asks to take a picture, most times I will always say, ‘Of course!’…But then that person posts the picture on the social media as if I am dating that person, and suddenly I am dating, like, 100 people. It seems silly…but I think that is frustrating at social media.”
Berry went on to discuss how tabloids and social media has proven a double-edged sword: “There are some things that can kill a brand, things that can happen today because of social media. Everyone is allowed to have an opinion, but that power can be misused.”