Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry joined forces with the Property Brothers, Drew and Jonathan Scott, to surprise her 5th-grade teacher with a home renovation.
On the Monday June 6 episode of Celebrity IOU, Berry spoke highly of her former teacher, Yvonne Sims, who she described as her “second mother.” Sims acted as a mentor for Berry throughout her childhood, becoming one of the most influential people in her life.
“My mom was a single mom, and so she worked a lot,” said Berry. “So my sister and I were very much latchkey kids. [Sims] sort of took me in under her wing. I have a white mother, and she, being a Black woman, taught me about my culture.”
The Extant star went on to explain how she attended a predominantly white school, so Sims being one of only two Black teachers at the time, was hugely important. “I think she saw the need in me. She saw that I needed to be mentored, and she stepped in,” added Berry.
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“She would take me to art museums, teach me about Black history, about my heritage, because it wasn’t really taught in schools,” she continued. “She just picked me up, you know, and quickly became more than a mentor, almost like another mother.”
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“Halle was eager to learn more about herself, being of mixed heritage,” added Sims. “I watched her evolve from being a fifth-grade little girl to being the woman that she is now, and a lot that has contributed to that are the hard knocks. It wasn’t easy for the Black kids. It definitely wasn’t easy for the mixed-race kids.”
Berry broke into tears as she revealed the surprise to Sims — a renovation of her 1920s home. “There’s nobody who’s been more selfless and helped so many people, not just me, hundreds of kids, and nobody deserves this more,” the Emmy-winning actress told Sims, who also got teary-eyed upon the reveal of her new home.
Celebrity IOU, Season 3, Mondays, 9/8c, HGTV
