Halle Berry Steps Out With Van Hunt Ahead of Restraining Order Hearing

Halle Berry stepped out publicly alongside her fiancé, musician Van Hunt, marking her first public sighting since filing responses in an ongoing legal custody battle with her ex-husband, Olivier Martinez, according to reporting by theGrio citing People.

The public appearance on Oct. 15 took place just days prior to a scheduled court hearing regarding a temporary restraining order petition initiated by Martinez. Two weeks before the sighting, a Los Angeles County judge partially granted Martinez's request for a temporary protective order that covers both him and their 13-year-old son, Maceo.

According to court records cited by theGrio, Martinez submitted his filing on Oct. 1, accusing Berry of abuse spanning multiple years. The documents highlight an alleged incident on Sept. 26 in which Martinez claimed Berry grabbed their teenage son by the neck, an encounter Martinez stated Hunt witnessed. Martinez's filing also incorporated alleged text messages from the timeframe, including one message in which Berry allegedly stated she felt terrible about the events of the previous evening.

Berry has categorically denied the claims brought by her ex-husband. In a formal legal declaration submitted Oct. 5, the actress stated that she has never abused Maceo in any manner. Emphasizing her history as a survivor of domestic violence who actively works on behalf of other victims, Berry wrote, "I am not a perpetrator of violence," adding, "I would never hurt our child."

The procedural dispute has also centered on whose testimony the family court will consider. Martinez submitted court papers on Oct. 12 asserting that Maceo wants to share his own account in court. Berry submitted an objection on Oct. 13, arguing that Martinez was disregarding other potential eyewitnesses, including Hunt and her 18-year-old daughter, Nahla. Nahla previously filed a declaration confirming she had never witnessed her mother physically harm Maceo.

Berry also raised concerns regarding the nature of the child's involvement, cautioning the court against placing substantial weight on statements from a minor she characterized as coached and manipulated. Despite Berry's objections, the judge ruled that Maceo will be permitted to testify, though his testimony is strictly limited to the restraining order petition rather than broader custody determinations.

Following a court-mandated mediation session on Oct. 14, Berry retains unsupervised visitation with Maceo two days during the week and on alternating weekends. Berry is actively seeking to reinstate the joint 50/50 custody arrangement that both parties agreed to in August 2023. Martinez's attorney, Patrick Baghdaserians, stated that his client's focus remains on the teenager's welfare, while Berry's attorney, Marina Beck, described the allegations as baseless and deliberately misleading. The former couple had previously entered into an agreement for co-parenting therapy in May 2024.