MOVE over Brad and Angelina – Hollywood has another bitter custody war on its hands, and this one is about to get even messier, with a 13-year-old boy preparing to give evidence against his own parents.
Oscar-winner Halle Berry and her ex-husband Olivier Martinez are locked in an explosive legal battle over their son Maceo after allegations of physical abuse plunged their already turbulent relationship into fresh crisis.
Today Maceo will appear in court to give evidence in a hearing over a restraining order sought by his dad, who has accused 60-year-old Halle of attacking the teenager during an argument at her home in September.
The judge has ruled that Maceo will testify, despite Halle’s objections, although his evidence is limited to the restraining order request and he will appear in a closed courtroom.
It marks a dramatic new chapter in a custody battle that has dragged on for years since the couple’s disastrous marriage collapsed in 2015 after just two years.
And while French actor Olivier insists his son deserves to have his voice heard, Halle claims the boy has been “coached and manipulated”.
The latest showdown erupted after Olivier, who is also 60, obtained a temporary domestic violence restraining order against Halle this month, accusing her of physically abusing Maceo on September 26 this year.
In the court filings, he alleged she jumped on their son, put her hands around his neck and choked him.
He claimed the row erupted after Halle called Maceo “stupid” over a game involving virtual reality glasses, and that afterwards a “traumatised” Maceo begged Olivier to pick him up.
Halle has vehemently denied the allegations, insisting the pair were “roughhousing”.
She says the incident arose as she tried to enforce boundaries, claiming Maceo had been physically aggressive towards her.
In a statement, she said: “I have never physically, emotionally, or otherwise abused Maceo. I am a victim of domestic violence, and I help victims of domestic violence . . . I am not a perpetrator of violence. I would never hurt our child.”
Halle has found a fierce ally in 18-year-old Nahla, her daughter by former partner Gabriel Aubry, who leapt to her mum’s defence in a sworn declaration.
She said: “I have never seen my mom hit, slap, choke, grab or physically abuse Maceo in any way.
“I have never seen my mom place her hands around Maceo’s neck, put him in a choke hold, restrict his breathing or engage in any conduct remotely resembling the allegations that have been made against her.”
Nahla described Halle as a “loving and devoted parent”.
It is a far cry from how it all began.
Halle and Olivier met in 2010 in South Africa on the set of the horror film Dark Tide, shortly after she had split from French-Canadian model Gabriel.
They got engaged in 2012 and married in France in July 2013, and Halle gave birth to Maceo that October.
For a time they appeared to have found happiness together, with Maceo’s arrival completing the family.
Now Halle’s lawyer Marina Beck has branded the court filing “entirely meritless and deliberately misleading”.
She claimed Olivier had repeatedly violated court orders, “misconduct for which Mr Martinez has already been legally sanctioned”, and alleged he has a history of “erratic, possessive and violent behaviour”.
Halle also accuses Olivier of ignoring evidence which she says contradicts his version of events, including statements from her now-fiancé Van Hunt, who was present, and what she describes as contemporaneous video evidence.
Her filing reads: “Van Hunt was physically present during the incident and is the only adult third-party eyewitness to the events at issue.”
She argued that Maceo has “a personal interest in minimising his own conduct”, claiming he has behaved similarly at school.
Halle told the court that making him testify would place him “directly in the middle of a highly contentious dispute between his parents” and risk harm to his wellbeing.
She added that he has spent the past two weeks mainly in Olivier’s care, discussing the allegations and the litigation.
But Olivier has launched a blistering counter-attack, insisting his son is the real victim.
His lawyer Patrick Baghdaserians said: “We vehemently deny such allegations. The child is the primary victim here. Victims of abuse should be able to testify regarding the abuse inflicted upon them.”
He added: “We are not surprised that the opposing party does not want the child Maceo to testify.
“The opposing party is seemingly scared of what the child will say.”
Olivier said Maceo “was concerned that no one will believe him over his mother” and “wants to speak with the court to provide his side of the story”.
He continued in his declaration: “Given that our son is 13 years old, I believe it would certainly be in his best interest for him to address the court.
“I believe that our son’s testimony will be the key to the Court learning the full truth about the events that occurred on September 26.
“I am the parent who wants the truth to come out. I am the parent who does not want to suppress Maceo’s voice.”
Mr Baghdaserians warned that if their son was stopped from speaking, Olivier “fears that [Maceo] would be dissuaded from reporting problems or potential abuse in the future”.
The team also expected Halle “will try to prevent Maceo from addressing the court directly”.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Shelley Kaufman ruled that “the minor child shall not be coached” and reminded both parents that existing orders remain in force, including not discussing custody issues or court papers with him.
But Olivier has hit back by asking the judge to block Nahla from testifying, claiming she is “unquestionably biased” and has “no significant bearing” on the case.
He said it was not appropriate for Halle to “insert her daughter into litigation that does not involve her”.
The hearing is set to be an agonising showdown for two exes who have been trading blows in court for years over how to raise Maceo.
The marriage was short-lived. The couple’s wedding took place in France on July 13, 2013, but cracks soon began to show.
In January 2015, showbiz news service TMZ reported that Olivier had appeared to push a worker at Los Angeles airport with a child car seat as photographers closed in.
He was named a suspect in a battery investigation but no charges followed.
By October 2015 the couple had confirmed their split, saying in a joint statement they were divorcing “with a heavy heart” and wished each other “nothing but happiness in life”.
Yet the bitter legal wrangling rumbled on for the best part of a decade, with their divorce not finalised until August 2023.
The settlement required Halle to pay £6,000 a month in child support, cover Maceo’s private school tuition and contribute more than £41,500 towards Olivier’s legal fees, with the pair sharing joint custody of Maceo.
But the courtroom clashes did not stop there. In 2024 the pair were back in front of a judge over co- parenting therapy, with Halle accusing Olivier of trying to delay it by taking “the summer off” to travel.
She then sought sole custody, claiming Maceo had “serious behaviour and learning problems” and that Olivier refused to get a tutor because it could interfere with their son’s football schedule.
Olivier disputed the claims. Halle also said she had spent more than £150,000 trying to “work with” her ex, and swiped at him over child support.
“As Olivier has advised this court, he lives off my child support,” she wrote.
Now Olivier has filed for sole custody and has been granted primary custody, along with a restraining order barring Halle from coming within 100 yards of him.
She has been given two days a week of court-ordered visitation and every other weekend with Maceo.
She has also completed a court-mandated parenting programme.
For now, the battle lines are firmly drawn, with Halle fighting to protect her reputation and relationship with her son, while Olivier insists Maceo’s account of events must be heard.
And with Maceo due to take the stand today, the latest chapter in one of Hollywood’s most vicious custody disputes is set to unfold in a courtroom far removed from the glitz and glamour of the world that the former couple once shared.
The Sun has approached representatives for both Halle and Olivier for comment.