Olivier Martinez seemingly reached his breaking point during his bitter custody battle with Halle Berry. The French actor reportedly stormed out of a Los Angeles courtroom on Tuesday, October 20, and engaged in a profanity-filled exchange with his attorney as testimony continued in the former couple’s increasingly contentious legal dispute over their 13-year-old son, Maceo.
According to Page Six, the 60-year-old actor appeared visibly agitated as he left Los Angeles County Superior Court alongside his attorney, Patrick Baghdaserians. Witnesses reportedly heard Martinez cursing during an animated conversation about the testimony before the pair made their way toward a restroom. They returned to the courtroom approximately five minutes later.
It remains unclear what Martinez said during the exchange or whether his profanity was directed at his attorney.
The reported outburst occurred as Berry, also 60, testified behind closed doors about allegations that she physically abused Maceo. Jon Hay, a staff member at the teenager’s school, had previously raised concerns about his behavior.
The former couple’s courtroom battle is far from over, with Martinez scheduled to testify and Berry’s 18-year-old daughter, Nahla Aubry, expected to take the stand later this week.
The latest developments follow an October 19 hearing, during which Maceo testified for nearly four hours about allegations involving his mother. Judge Shelley Kaufman cleared the courtroom for the teenager’s testimony and ordered that it remain sealed.
Tensions reportedly extended beyond the closed proceedings. Page Six described the atmosphere at the hearing as “icy,” claiming Berry and Martinez exchanged hostile looks while maintaining their distance from each other.
The legal dispute stems from Martinez’s allegation that Berry choked Maceo during a September 26 confrontation involving a virtual reality headset. Martinez claims Berry became physically aggressive toward their son while her fiancé, musician Van Hunt, was present.
He subsequently secured a temporary restraining order and sought sole legal and physical custody of Maceo, leading to restrictions on Berry’s contact with the teenager.
Berry has strongly denied abusing her son. Her attorney, Marina Beck, described Martinez’s allegations as “entirely meritless and deliberately misleading.”
The Oscar winner maintains that the incident involved roughhousing rather than an assault. She has also accused Martinez of interfering with Maceo’s educational and therapeutic needs and attempting to turn their son against her.
Berry is seeking to have the temporary restrictions lifted and restore their previous 50-50 custody arrangement.
Meanwhile, Nahla, whom Berry shares with her former partner Gabriel Aubry, has already challenged Martinez’s allegations in a sworn declaration.
“I have never seen my mom hit, slap, choke, grab, or physically abuse Maceo in any way,” she stated.
