Halle Berry Eviscerates Ex Olivier Martinez Ahead of Court Showdown Over Abuse Claims
Halle Berry’s son will be allowed to testify in her custody battle with ex Olivier Martinez.
via: Page Six
Halle Berry claims Olivier Martinez is the cause of her 13-year-old son’s recent behavioral issues at school as she continues to fight her ex-husband’s domestic violence restraining order request.
In a formal response filed Wednesday, the Oscar winner accuses Martinez, 60, of repeatedly interfering with their son’s educational and therapeutic needs, involving the teenager in their legal disputes and undermining her parenting decisions.
As Page Six previously reported, Martinez accused Berry of choking their son after an argument over virtual reality goggles, in which the actress allegedly claimed that the kid was “such an idiot” for playing a game on the headset. Martinez also claimed there were multiple instances of abuse over the past year and a half.
Berry issued an emphatic denial of the claims through her attorney, who called the filing “entirely meritless and deliberately misleading.”
Page Six can exclusively report that Berry, 60, is seeking sole legal custody of Maceo, 13, and wants the court to restore her authority over major decisions affecting his welfare.
If the judge declines to grant her sole legal custody, she is asking for final decision-making authority on education, medical care and mental health issues if the parents cannot reach an agreement after 72 hours of trying.
The actress claims Martinez has repeatedly obstructed recommendations for Maceo’s education and mental health care over several years, encouraged their son to make major decisions about school and treatment himself, and drawn him into the parents’ conflict.
Her lawyers cite prior court findings concerning Martinez’s alleged failure to comply with orders and interference with services, as well as a previous finding that his conduct led to unnecessary legal fees.
Berry also argues that Maceo’s behavior at school has worsened significantly since the temporary restraining order took effect on Oct. 1.
“Since the issuance of the Temporary Restraining Order on October 1, 2026, Maceo’s behavioral issues at school have significantly escalated,” the filing states.
The response references an Oct. 10 letter from Park Century School Associate Head of School Sara Love, along with concerns from school personnel including Jon Hay.
The correspondence describes what Berry’s lawyers characterize as “an escalating disregard for school rules, authority, and appropriate peer interactions at a critical juncture in Maceo’s development.”
The school concerns cited in the filing include disruptive behavior, harassing a younger student, using inappropriate language and throwing objects. Maceo also reportedly received a full week of detention beginning Oct. 12.
Berry further points to Maceo telling school personnel that he plans to attend a different area school, Wildwood, next year instead of Park Century.
She argues that his statement reflects a belief that he can make major decisions about his future without agreement from his parents.
Her filing also includes school correspondence predating the current restraining order that describes difficulties with following directions and physical behavior toward peers, as well as a Sept. 18 exchange about professional recommendations and a week-on, week-off custody schedule.
Berry argues that the temporary restraining order issued at Martinez’s request could be detrimental to Maceo’s behavioral progress, contending that she has historically been the parent responsible for enforcing discipline and pursuing therapeutic intervention.
As part of her proposed custody arrangement, Berry wants Maceo to attend individual therapy every week for at least one year, as well as conjoint therapy with her. She is asking to select the therapists and manage the scheduling.
Her attorneys also accuse Martinez and his legal team of misleading the court and leaving out key information.
They ask the judge to find Martinez’s testimony unreliable, while arguing that Maceo’s account should be considered carefully because the ongoing family conflict could affect his recollection and that involving him in the dispute risks further emotional harm.
Berry also disputes Martinez’s allegations concerning her alcohol use and opposes his requests for alcohol testing and related restrictions.
In addition, she is asking the court to reject his financial requests, including changes to child support and contributions toward his legal fees.
Berry is also proposing that she and Martinez communicate about parenting through OurFamilyWizard, a co-parenting app. Her suggested rules would limit each parent to one non-emergency message per day and require responses within 48 hours for routine matters and five hours for urgent ones.
The filing includes declarations from Berry’s fiancé, musician Van Hunt, 56, her daughter Nahla, 18, and school personnel, among other supporting material.
Berry and Martinez married in 2013 and filed for divorce in 2015.
Their divorce was finalized in 2023, when they agreed to joint legal and physical custody of Maceo.
They are due back in court later this month.
Page Six reached out to representatives for Berry and Martinez, but did not immediately receive a response.
Comments