Halle Berry's Son Testifies in Court Over Restraining Order

Maceo Martinez, the 13-year-old son of Halle Berry and her ex-husband Olivier Martinez, testified for nearly three hours on Monday in a Los Angeles courtroom. The hearing was part of a legal battle over a domestic violence restraining order. Olivier Martinez had previously been granted a temporary order against Berry, alleging she had physically abused their son.

Maceo arrived at the Los Angeles Superior Court with his father and his father's legal team. Berry was present with her own legal representatives and her fiancé, Van Hunt. Eyewitnesses described the court atmosphere as "icy."

Judge Shelley Kaufman ordered everyone except essential court personnel out of the courtroom to ensure the teenager's testimony remained sealed. Maceo, dressed casually, spoke for nearly three hours and did not interact with his mother during his time at the court.

The hearing is part of an ongoing dispute that began when Martinez, 60, filed for a temporary restraining order against Berry, also 60, on October 1. He alleged that Berry choked Maceo on September 26 following an argument about virtual reality goggles. Martinez further claimed that Berry had called their son an "idiot" for using the headset and that instances of abuse had occurred over the preceding 18 months. He is seeking sole legal and physical custody of Maceo.

Berry has denied the allegations. Her older daughter, Nahla Aubry, 18, submitted a declaration stating she was shocked by the claims and had never witnessed her mother act aggressively toward Maceo. Berry has requested that the judge deny Martinez's restraining order, lift the temporary restrictions, and reinstate 50-50 custody. She also seeks to retain final decision-making authority on Maceo's education and mental health treatment in cases of parental disagreement.

Berry's legal team has accused Martinez of escalating the custody dispute, interfering with Maceo's educational and therapeutic needs, and attempting to alienate their son. Despite Berry's opposition, the judge allowed Maceo to testify, limiting his testimony to the claims made in his father's restraining order request.

Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez were declared legally single in December 2016, and their divorce was finalized in August 2023.