NEED TO KNOW
- Halle Berry and ex-husband Olivier Martinez are embroiled in a bitter custody dispute over their 13-year-old son, Maceo.
- A judge temporarily denied Halle’s bid for joint physical custody and overnight visits, while dismissing Olivier’s request for a domestic violence restraining order.
- Halle’s daughter Nahla and fiancé Van Hunt have supported the actress, with both children also giving evidence in court.
- Halle and Maceo have been ordered to attend 12 sessions of joint therapy over six months.
Halle Berry and ex-husband Olivier Martinez’s fight over their teenage son Maceo is shaping up to be one of the saddest custody battles in Hollywood, as insiders say the actress isn’t giving up anytime soon.
A judge has temporarily denied Halle’s bid for joint physical custody and overnight visits with Maceo, 13, though her ex’s request for a domestic violence restraining order was dismissed in what sources say is “a huge win for Halle”.
“It was a relief to have the temporary restraining order against her removed, but losing overnight custody of Maceo has turned her world upside down,” a source says.
“Halle’s devastated, but she’s not backing down. She has too much to lose.”
Halle and Olivier, who ended their marriage in 2015, have been locked in a bitter dispute since late September, after the French actor accused Halle of jumping on and choking Maceo while at her home.
Olivier also alleged she has a history of abusing the teenager, and aired “significant concerns” about the actress’ mental health and “alcohol abuse”, which she disputes.
Ahead of the nine-day court hearing in Los Angeles, Halle denied the “deliberately misleading claims” and said she and her son had been play wrestling.
“I never choked him, never restrained his breathing, never told him to tap out, or yell, ‘Who is dominant now?’ as Olivier, who was not there, falsely claims,” her court filing stated.
Further to that, Halle, 60, argued that Maceo’s troublesome behaviour at school had “significantly escalated” since being in his father’s care.
Days into the tense court battle, Halle shared, then deleted, a quote on Instagram that read: “If kids disrespect their mom, the root cause often traces back to their relationship with the father.”
Halle’s longtime partner and fiancé Van Hunt has been by her side throughout the challenging ordeal, and also took the stand in her defence.
Halle and Maceo were ordered to attend 12 sessions of “safe haven joint therapy” in six months’ time, which the actress is said to be “looking forward to” undertaking.
Despite their tumultuous co-parenting relationship in recent years, Olivier insists he only wants peace between his ex-wife and their son.
“I don’t want my son to hate his mum. I want him to love her,” Olivier, 60, says. “I want him to forgive her, and I want them to reconciliate (sic) in some sort at one point.”
However, as the mudslinging continues between the exes, sources say the bitter fight has impacted not only Maceo, but his big sister, Nahla, too.
“Nahla’s adored her little brother from the day he was born, and she has always looked out for him,” the insider says. “But she’s scared about the outcome of this nightmare.”
Maceo had to testify for almost four hours in court, while Nahla, 18, testified virtually, after publicly supporting their mother and admitting she was “heartbroken” to see her little brother “become the subject of a public dispute that he may not fully understand”.
Nahla, whose father is model Gabriel Aubry, described Halle as “a loving and devoted parent” who “has always encouraged” them “to maintain loving relationships with our fathers”.
According to the source, the siblings getting caught up in adults’ business has been particularly sad to see.
“For both the children to have to take the stand has been heart-wrenching,” the insider says.
“It didn’t have to be this way – and the kids didn’t need to be any more hurt than they already are. No matter what happens with custody, there are no real winners in this situation.”
If you, or anyone that you know is affected by this article, help is on the way. Contact 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) or visit the 1800 RESPECT website.
