Halle Berry’s 13-year-old son spent nearly four hours testifying behind closed doors on Monday, October 19, as the actress’s increasingly tense custody dispute with her ex-husband, Olivier Martinez, returned to court. The former couple reportedly exchanged hostile glances during the Los Angeles hearing, where their son, Maceo, testified amid allegations that Berry physically abused him.
According to Page Six, Berry arrived at Los Angeles Superior Court alongside her attorneys and fiancé, musician Van Hunt, while Martinez appeared with Maceo and his legal team. Witnesses described the atmosphere as “icy,” claiming Martinez glared at Berry, who reportedly returned the stare.
However, the most intense moments of the hearing took place behind closed doors, away from public view.
Judge Shelley Kaufman ordered the courtroom cleared before Maceo took the stand, ensuring the teenager’s testimony remained private. His appearance lasted nearly four hours, with a lunch break during which he was reportedly seen chatting comfortably with his father. According to Page Six, Maceo did not interact with Berry during the hearing.
“Olivier is a great, loving father,” Martinez’s attorney, Patrick Baghdaserians, told Page Six. “He is very caring and only wants the best for his son.”
The court proceedings follow Martinez’s serious allegations that Berry choked Maceo during a September 26 disagreement over a virtual reality headset. In court documents, Martinez claimed Berry called their son “such an idiot” for playing a game before allegedly grabbing him by the neck.
Martinez further alleged that the incident was not an isolated occurrence, accusing Berry of physically mistreating Maceo on several occasions over the past 18 months.
Berry has strongly denied the allegations, maintaining that she and Maceo were roughhousing rather than fighting.
“I have never physically, emotionally, or otherwise abused Maceo,” Berry stated in an earlier court filing. “I would never hurt our child.”
On October 1, Martinez secured a temporary restraining order limiting Berry’s contact with Maceo. He is now seeking sole legal and physical custody, while Berry is asking the court to lift the order and reinstate their previous 50-50 custody arrangement.
Berry has also accused Martinez of disrupting Maceo’s educational and therapeutic needs and trying to turn their son against her. She wants to maintain final decision-making authority over his education and mental health care whenever the former couple cannot reach an agreement.
Berry’s 18-year-old daughter, Nahla Aubry, has also become involved in the dispute. In a sworn declaration, Nahla said she was “shocked” by the allegations and had never seen her mother physically abuse Maceo.
Martinez previously alleged that Maceo took photographs of Berry following the September confrontation because he feared no one would believe his account.
Although Berry objected to her son’s participation in the proceedings, Judge Kaufman permitted Maceo to testify specifically about the restraining order allegations, rather than the wider custody dispute.
