Halle Berry Seeks Court Intervention in Custody Dispute, Cites Past Domestic Violence

Halle Berry has requested Los Angeles Superior Court to reinstate a previous 50/50 custody arrangement with ex-husband Olivier Martinez for their 13-year-old son, Maceo. In legal filings submitted on Monday, Berry also characterized herself as a victim of domestic violence, responding to accusations that she had been physically abusive towards their son.

Berry is seeking to be designated the tie-breaking authority in custody decisions and has asked the court to mandate that Martinez attend court-ordered therapy sessions. These actions come in the wake of Martinez obtaining a temporary domestic violence restraining order against Berry, based on his claims of her alleged abuse of Maceo on September 26. Berry has denied these allegations.

In her court filing, Berry stated, "I have never physically, emotionally, or otherwise abused Maceo. I am a victim of domestic violence, and I help victims of domestic violence. I am not a perpetrator of violence. I would never hurt our child."

Berry outlined several concerns regarding Martinez's conduct and its impact on their co-parenting. She alleged that he has continued to make unilateral decisions regarding Maceo's education and extracurricular activities without her prior knowledge or consent. According to Berry, Martinez consistently places Maceo "in the middle of our conflict" and interferes with their therapeutic work, leading Maceo to act out, become angry, and combative following visits with his father.

She further claimed that Martinez attempts to align Maceo with him against her, causing their son to become angry with her over private issues that she and Martinez are discussing. Berry stated that Maceo would often learn about decisions regarding his education, school, or therapy from his father before she and Martinez reached a final decision, disregarding her parental authority.

Berry also alleged that Martinez has refused to take necessary steps to obtain educational and psychoeducational services for Maceo, and uses Maceo's soccer activities as leverage in negotiations concerning his educational and therapeutic needs. She claimed Martinez has attempted to portray her as a risk to their child by communicating false stories to Maceo's teachers and therapists.

According to Berry, Martinez's actions and lack of cooperation regarding Maceo’s psychological and educational needs have been detrimental to their son's health and welfare. She stated that his refusal to allow early interventions has caused Maceo to fall further behind in school, worsened his acting-out behaviors, and damaged her relationship with their son.

Berry also noted that Martinez has not accepted her relationship with her fiancé, Van Hunt, whom she described as playing an important role in Maceo’s life. She asserted that Martinez's lack of acceptance has led him to refuse Maceo's participation in family therapy with her and Van, hindering the creation of a healthy environment within a blended family structure.

In response, Martinez has requested the court to deny Berry's requests. He cited the temporary restraining order he filed against her, which was based on his claims of her alleged physical abuse of Maceo. Martinez also stated that Berry had not followed proper protocols in filing her requests, suggesting an attempt to control the public narrative. A source close to the former couple reportedly described intense animosity between them amid their ongoing legal battle.