Oscar winner Halle Berry was honored for her work with the Jenesse Center in Los Angeles at the unite4:good’s unite4:humanity gala this past Thursday. Berry has worked with Jenesse, a domestic violence intervention program, for over 15 years.

During her emotional acceptance speech, the actress spoke of witnessing her father abuse her mother “day after day.”

“She stayed for too long and her children, my sister and I, saw far too much and I’ve suffered the damage of being a child of domestic violence,” Berry said in her speech.

Berry also stated that she had witnessed her mother being kicked down a flight of stars and being hit in the head with a wine bottle. But, she also said her mother fought so that her and her sister wouldn’t have to endure the same thing one day.

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-(800) 799-7233.