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Halle Berry’s New Boyfriend Van Hunt Is a Dreamy Musician — Get to Know Him!
She’s off the market! Legendary actress Halle Berry seemingly confirmed her new relationship with singer-songwriter Van Hunt while rocking a T-shirt with his name on it on Thursday, September 17. “Now you know,” the 54-year-old wrote on Instagram. The X-Men alum has been teasing her connection with her new beau on social media since July. But who, exactly, is Halle’s dreamy new man? Here’s everything we know about Van, 50.
Van Hunt Is From the Midwest
The singer was born in Dayton, Ohio, in March 1970. He moved to Texas with family shortly before resettling in Atlanta to attend Morehouse College in 1996. Van dropped out shortly after enrolling, but stayed local to immerse himself in the hip-hop scene.
Van Hunt Is a Musician
The Ohio native took up drums at age 7 and added saxophone to his repertoire by age 8. He later learned bass, keyboards and finally, guitar, which was the last instrument he picked up during his time in a rock band called Royalty. After dropping out of college in Atlanta, Van produced some demos for local hip-hop artists as a means to pay rent, through which he met industry legends Jermaine Dupri and girl group TLC.
He signed with Capitol Records in 2001 and American Idol star Randy Jackson — who was working A&R at the time — became his manager in 2002. His debut self-titled album released in 2004 and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance.
He has five studio albums to date, with his most recent release, Popular, debuting in 2017. Additionally, he has another five EPs under his belt. Van has toured and appeared with artists like Kanye West, Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys, The Roots, Seal, Coldplay and Dave Matthews Band.
Van Hunt Has Won Awards
In 2007, Van covered “Family Affair,” originally by Sly & the Family Stone, alongside John Legend and Joss Stone. Their updated rendition of the 1971 No. 1 hit — which appeared on the 2006 tribute record Different Strokes by Different Folks — earned the trio a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.
The musician told The Athens Blur Magazine the experience of winning the award was “one of the bigger pleasures I’ve had” in 2009.
Van and Halle Are Happy Together
The Catwoman star’s personal trainer, Peter Lee Thomas, told Closer Weekly Halle’s boyfriend is an “amazing guy” in late August. “Let’s just say, he’s an incredible man and I really like the guy a lot,” the fitness pro revealed. “I’m just happy for her. Everyone deserves love no matter how many tries it takes … it’s just really cool.”
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