Halle Berry's Son Maceo Testifies Behind Closed Doors in High-Stakes Custody Dispute

Thirteen-year-old Maceo spent nearly three hours providing testimony on Monday in a Los Angeles courtroom as the custody dispute between his parents, Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez, escalated. Presiding Judge Shelley Kaufman cleared the courtroom for the proceeding, keeping the teenager's statements sealed from the public.

The October 19 hearing centered strictly on a domestic violence restraining order petition filed by Martinez. Court records indicate that Judge Kaufman permitted Maceo to speak exclusively about the restraining order request. What the teenager stated under oath, the questions posed to him, and whether his statements supported either parent have not been publicly disclosed.

According to reporting from Page Six, Berry entered the courthouse alongside her fiancé, musician Van Hunt, and her legal representation. Martinez arrived accompanied by Maceo and his attorneys. Observers cited by Page Six described an icy dynamic between the former couple, noting tense exchanges of looks in the courtroom. Defending his client to the outlet, Martinez's attorney Patrick Baghdaserians stated, "Olivier is a great, loving father. He is very caring and only wants the best for his son."

The protective order request stems from accusations Martinez made concerning a September 26 incident at Berry's residence involving a virtual reality headset. Court filings show Martinez alleged that Berry choked Maceo and grabbed him by the neck following a disagreement over the device, alongside claims of verbal insults and prior mistreatment. Martinez previously obtained a temporary protective order on October 1 that restricted Berry's visitation and contact, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.

Berry has categorically denied the allegations in legal filings, characterizing the confrontation as playful roughhousing after she instructed Maceo to stop playing and began recording him on her phone. Berry stated that she never placed her hands around his neck or impeded his breathing, pointing to photographic evidence and statements from Hunt, who was present and did not witness any bruising or redness. In a sworn declaration reported by Entertainment Weekly, Berry stated, "I have never physically, emotionally, or otherwise abused Maceo," adding, "I am not a perpetrator of violence. I would never hurt our child."

Berry strongly opposed having her son take the witness stand, submitting claims that Martinez had improperly discussed the case with the teenager and coached him. Martinez rejected those assertions through counsel. Judge Kaufman ultimately permitted the limited testimony under the specific condition that the minor child not be coached. Berry's 18-year-old daughter, Nahla Aubry, also filed a court declaration expressing shock over the claims and stating she had never witnessed Berry behave aggressively toward Maceo.

The former couple, who married in 2013 and separated in 2015, finalized their divorce in August 2023, according to the Los Angeles Times. While their original settlement mandated joint custody and $8,000 monthly in child support from Berry, the pair have remained entrenched in disputes over parenting therapy, counseling, and schooling decisions. Martinez is presently petitioning the court for sole legal and physical custody, while Berry is asking the judge to dismiss the restraining order and reinstate their joint custody agreement.