Actress Halle Berry and Atlanta Braves' David Justice to divorce

Jet, March 11, 1996

Actress Halle Berry and Atlanta Braves outfielder David Justice are getting a divorce.

"It is with sadness that I announce that Dave Justice and I have decided to end our marriage," Berry said through a spokeswoman. "I live a very public life, but this is a painful and private situation that I am not prepared to discuss."

"It's something that's kind of been brewing for awhile," Justice said at the Braves' spring training camp in West Palm Beach, FL. "Any marriage is tough, but we were pretty much bicoastal, and we didn't get a chance to spend a lot of time together. I think our feelings kind of changed."

Berry and Justice maintained homes in Atlanta and Los Angeles, but their professional obligations caused them to spend long periods of time apart.

Justice said the couple had been formally separated for several months. "We figured it was time to go ahead and let it out of the bag," he said.

The spokeswoman would not say who filed for the divorce.

The beautiful actress and handsome sports star were married Jan. 1, 1993, in a private ceremony in Atlanta.

As a sign of their eternal love, Justice had Berry's name tattooed on his arm and she had his name tattooed on her rear end.

The two met when Berry found out, while filming Boomerang, that Justice was a fan and wanted her autograph. She sent a picture and a phone number.

When the two first met face to face in Atlanta after a Braves game, they both said it was love at first sight.

Their whirlwind courtship ended in marriage less than a year later. Berry popped the question to Justice and he eagerly accepted.

During their happy marriage, Berry once exclaimed, "This is the best time of my life."