Halle Berry custody battle: Actress opposes son Maceo, 13, testifying in court as judge approves his appearance at October 16 hearing

Halle Berry's prolonged legal battle with her former husband, Olivier Martinez, has reached another stage as the former duo prepares for a court hearing that involves their 13-year-old son, Maceo. The dispute focuses on allegations of physical abuse that was made against Berry, which the actress has denied. Court filings also disclose disagreements in whether their son should testify and how the court should evaluate statements from the relatives and witnesses.

Judge allows Maceo to testify at upcoming hearing

As per the documents reviewed by Daily Mail, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Shelley Kaufman has approved Martinez's request for Maceo to testify in the upcoming restraining order hearing, set for October 16.

In a ruling published on Wednesday, the judge mentioned, "The minor child is permitted to testify." However, the court clarified that the teenager's testimony must stay limited to the request for a restraining order.


It further cited, "The minor child shall not be coached."

Halle Berry challenges her son's proposed testimony

Berry has opposed Maceo appearing in court, citing that the teenager's testimony should not be given significant weight under the situation.

As per the documents obtained by People, Berry featured concern that her former husband had talked about the allegations and legal process with their son. She also argued that the court should consider statements from adults who were present in the incident or have deep details of the family's connections.

Berry explained Maceo as "a child who has been instructed and manipulated" and urged the court to exercise caution when analyzing his account.

Actress denies allegations of abuse

In an affidavit submitted on Monday, October 5, Berry dismissed the accusations against her.

Through her lawyer, Marina Beck, Berry also explained the allegations as "completely baseless and deliberately misleading."

“To say this submission is baseless and intentionally misleading is an understatement,” said Beck.

Berry also stated that the September 26 incident happened while she was setting boundaries and addressing Maceo behaviour, which she alleged includes physical aggression towards her.

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Custody dispute continues

The legal disagreement has reignited the former duo's longstanding custody conflict after their split in 2015. Their divorce was finalised in 2023, and they earlier reached a 50-50 custody arrangement.

After the allegations, Martinez sought sole custody of Maceo. As the October 16 hearing approaches, the court's consideration of the restraining order request and the permitted scope of the teenager's testimony remains central issues. Both parents have featured sharply conflicting accounts of the issues and the allegations stay contested.