Halle Berry’s bitter custody battle takes shocking turn as attempt to shield son fails
The odds are not in Halle Berry‘s favor as custody battle escalates.
The actress has been in a legal battle with her ex-husband, Olivier Martinez, over the custody of their teenage son Maceo. The pair, who previously had a 50/50 co-parenting arrangement, are now butting heads in court after domestic violence claims entered the mix.
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Halle Berry vehemently denies claims of physical abuse towards her son, insisting that they are baseless and lack substantial evidence.
Halle Berry’s Son Set To Testify Despite Her Pushback
Berry has been fighting to ensure her son does not take the witness stand as she battles her ex-husband. The iconic film star wanted Maceo out of the courtroom, but the judge did not grant her wishes.
According to court documents, Maceo has been permitted to testify; however, his testimony will only cover a few grounds. The legal docs state that the 13-year-old’s testimony will be “limited to the request for the issuance of a restraining order.”
The actress claimed that her desire to keep her son from testifying in the bitter custody battle stems from her ex coaching Maceo on what to say. She also argued that the court cannot assume her son’s account is reliable because he has a “personal interest in minimizing his own conduct and shifting responsibility to others.”
TMZ reports that the judge’s ruling noted that any testimony from Maceo will be in a closed courtroom with only the parties, court personnel, and legal counsel present.
Olivier Martinez Wants Full Custody
The French actor is fighting to strip Berry of her custody rights after claiming that she got violent with the teen while he was in her care. Martinez requested a domestic violence restraining order against the “Catwoman” actress, alleging that she attacked Maceo during an argument while he was playing a VR video game.
He added that she jumped on him, put her hands around his neck, and choked him; hence, he wants to keep Berry completely away from the teenager while she pushes back against the claims.
The Hollywood star also alleges that her ex has been getting their son involved in adult arguments, and this has altered the dynamic of their relationship. According to Berry, she had to put on her tough pants and become the rule enforcer while Martinez sits back as the chill parent.
Berry worries that her son’s testimony would reflect “perceptions developed over time,” not an accurate account of what happened, because he views her as the “bad guy” and his father as the “good guy.”
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Martinez previously claimed that his son took a photo after the alleged altercation on September 26 to support claims that she strangled him. The TV star clapped back at her ex, stating that the photo does not prove she physically harmed Maceo.
Berry explained that the picture in question only shows her standing with her hands in her pockets, feet away from her teenage son. The photo not only shows that she was not in any form of physical contact with Maceo, but it also does not show any bruises, injury, or redness on his skin.
As The Blast reported, Martinez raised dust after Berry’s boyfriend, Van Hunt, said he did not see any injury marks on Maceo. The actress argued that her ex-husband was “cherry-picking” messages and omitting context to make her look worse after seemingly implying that Hunt had inspected the teenager for signs of injury.
The Actress’ Daughter Is In Her Corner
Berry’s 18-year-old daughter, Nahla Aubry, whom she shares with ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubry, has shown public support for her mother in this case. Nahla filed a declaration in Los Angeles Superior Court, clapping back at the claims that her mother was abusive toward Maceo.
She stated that she has never seen her mom behave violently toward anyone, let alone her children, adding that Berry and her half-brother have a fun relationship. As shared by The Blast, Nahla declared she had repeatedly seen her mom and Maceo “playfully wrestle, tickle each other, and roll around laughing on the floor or on a bed many times.”
“I have never seen my mom hit, slap, choke, grab, or physically abuse Maceo in any way,” Nahla noted, adding that the actress has also never hurled objects at others that could cause bodily harm.
The 18-year-old insisted that Martinez pulled these accusations “in his quest to destroy my mom,” after reiterating that Berry has never behaved in any way near what his allegations claim.
Halle Berry Says Her Ex Is Not A Good Influence On Their Son
In legal documents, Berry asked the court to uphold the 50/50 initial custody arrangement she and Martinez had. She also asked to regain the tie-breaking authority she held under the 2023 agreement and wants the court to require her ex-husband to attend their ordered therapy sessions.
As reported by The Blast, tension arises whenever Maceo returns from spending time with his father. The strife, Berry alleges, stems from Martinez disregarding her authority as their son’s mother and also feeding him information about their private disagreements.
“When Maceo would come home from his custodial time with Olivier, he would be angry and combative,” Berry wrote in her filing, adding that his behavior has worsened at home and in school.
Who will have the last laugh in Halle Berry’s legal battle?