Halle Berry lost her daughter in a department store.

The 44-year-old actress was terrified when three-year-old Nahla - her child with ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubry - suddenly let go of her hand and disappeared as they were shopping.

She recalled: "All of a sudden, I looked down at a price tag or something, and she toddled off for what seemed like two seconds. The next thing I know, I looked back around and it was like, Whosh! Gone! And I said, 'Nahla? Nahla? Nahla?' Gone. My heart just started ... I'm like, Close the store! Shut the door! My daughter's gone!'

"Talk about sweating. And you just freak out for about 30 seconds. I came undone. I think my head projected off my body."

Despite Halle's fears, no harm had come to her daughter and the youngster was quickly discovered hiding under a clothing rail.

She explained to US TV talk show host Ellen Degeneres: "She was right next to me - in a rounder of clothes where the pants were hanging. Right there. And after I became a lunatic and totally embarrassed myself, she stuck her head out and was like, 'Hi.' "