Gabriel Aubry just dumped Halle Berry.  Apparently, she has peaked and is now well past her prime. As quoted in the Huffington Post on Friday:

“Gabriel just felt it wasn’t working anymore,” the source said. “When they were first together the 9-year age difference between them didn’t faze him, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever dated and he was totally in love. But as time went on he started feeling it more and more. Also, Gabriel started noticing other women, and being attracted to other, and he felt it just wasn’t right to stay with Halle in those circumstances.”

Despite the recent rash of over-40 celebs touted as hot and youthful such as Demi Moore, this is a prime example of the consistent ageism that exists for women in the entertainment industry. I have yet to hear of a younger woman dumping an older beau because the age difference became more pronounced and she began to notice other (presumably, younger) men.

That’s the implication in the statement above. “She was [italics mine] the most beautiful women he ever dated…” but time marched on he started to feel the 9-year age difference “more and more” and “began noticing other women.”

For women, our physical appearance and conformity to the dominant beauty norm (and adherence to the beauty myth), is the primary way we’re assigned value. This factor is even more heavily pronounced for women that make their livelihood in front of the public eye. It’s no wonder these women have difficulty resisting promises of youth in the form of expensive services and cosmetic surgery.