Oscar winner Halle Berry ripped into her father at the Hollywood Reporter's Women in Entertainment breakfast in Los Angeles on Friday, revealing his violent acts left an "indelible" mark on her life.

The actress was among those being honoured at the early-morning gala and she chose to bring up a painful part of her past as she accepted her latest accolade.

Taking to the podium at the Beverly Hills event, the Monster's Ball star said, "My father was a very abusive, very violent alcoholic and he left an indelible scar on my life, on my childhood.

"When a young girl watches her mother be beaten and kicked down the steps and stabbed and punched in the face, not only do you feel a sense of fear but you too feel a sense of worthlessness."

Berry paid tribute to a former teacher, who helped her overcome her violent upbringing: "She saw in me the need to feel valued and to feel loved and to feel I was worth it."

Hilary Swank and Eva Longoria-Parker were also among those named to the Power 100 Women in Entertainment at the gala.