KJ Apa and Clara Berry Break Up 2 Years After Welcoming Son
"We are doing the best we can," the model said of how she and the 'Riverdale' actor are navigating co-parenting as she announced their separation on Instagram
KJ Apa and his longtime girlfriend Clara Berry have gone their separate ways.
The French model, 30, confirmed that she was no longer dating the Riverdale star, 26, in an Instagram Q&A in late February, according to a TikTok dated Feb. 25.
In the video, Berry said “no” to a follower-submitted question that asked if she and Apa were still an item. She described herself as “happier” in light of the split before doing a little dance as she exclaimed, “I’m free.”
“We are doing the best we can,” Berry said of how she and Apa, who share two-year-old Sasha Vai Keneti Apa, are navigating co-parenting.
“I think it’s better to have separated parents who are happy and can be the best versions of themselves rather than stay together if it's not working. What hurts me the most is that I don’t have my son 50 percent of the time, which means I don’t know 50 percent of his life. That’s something that’s been a little difficult to accept.”
She also shared that her own parents are separated, and she was still able to be “happy,” like her son is now. “But yes, it’s painful,” she added.
On Tuesday, the former couple were reunited, though, in what marked their first public appearance since their split became public as they both attended the Lacoste Fall/Winter 2024-2025 show during Paris Fashion Week. In a video posted by French magazine Gala, the former couple greeted each other with a hug and there appeared to be no bad blood between them. Berry even reposted the video on her own Instagram story.
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The pair were first romantically linked in August 2020 after Apa posted a set of nude photos of Berry to his Instagram with the caption, "there's nowhere else." Berry for her part commented "Jtm," which is the abbreviation for "Je t'aime" or "I love you" in French.
Nearly one year later in May, the couple announced on social media that they were welcoming their first child by sharing maternity photos of Berry showing off her baby bump.
"She's pregnant btw," the Riverdale star commented on Berry's post, to which she responded: "We are ❤️"
They welcomed their son on Sept. 23, 2021, with Berry announcing the news alongside an Instagram photo of her son's little hands over hers.
"He is a perfect perfection," she captioned the post. "I am the luckiest to have now two men of my life, filling my heart with this cosmic gigantic vast love. ❤️🔥"
Related: KJ Apa Is a Dad! Riverdale Star and Model Clara Berry Welcome First Baby
Apa also shared a few glimpses of his daddy-son story time to his Instagram. In February 2022, he shared a video showing him reading a book aloud to Sasha with the caption: "Dr. Seuss wins every time."
In the post, Apa can be seen using a funny voice to read to his son: "I will hold you up high as I stand on a ball, with a book on one hand and a cup on my hat. But that is not all I can do, said the cat."
The model has also shared some sweet family moments from their vacations, including candid photos of the family in a pool as Apa tried to get his son to look at the camera.
"Les hommes de ma vie," Berry wrote in the caption, which translates to "the men of my life."
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After Sasha's birth, Apa even jokingly calling Berry his wife in one Instagram video that shows himself pouring her breast milk into his coffee.
"My wife is a milk machine and I love it," he wrote, to which Berry replied in the comments, "Happy to feed my family."
The comment sparked speculation that the couple had secretly gotten married, and the actor fueled the flames when he told E! News a few months later, "Yeah, I mean, maybe I am married. No one's business but mine, baby."
A few days later, however, he clarified to TMZ that he and Berry weren't married just yet, though he seemed to hint at plans to do so.
"I don't think we need to put a label on love, but do I want to get married? Yes," he said, before confirming they hadn't wed and pointing to his naked ring finger.
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