Halle Berry continues to deny ex-husband Olivier Martinez’s accusations that she abused their 13-year-old son, Maceo.
“Olivier never contacted me to discuss the incident, never asked for my account of what occurred, never expressed concern regarding Maceo’s alleged allegations or questioned me about them or raised any issue of abuse whatsoever,” Berry, 60, wrote in court documents obtained by Us on Wednesday, October 14. “I was absolutely blindsided by Olivier’s filing.”
Martinez obtained a domestic violence restraining order on behalf of himself and Maceo on October 1, in addition to seeking an emergency change to his and Berry’s 50-50 custody agreement.
The Revenge actor alleged that Maceo told him during a phone call on September 26 that he’d been “physically attacked” and “choked” by Berry during an argument. (Berry’s attorney Marina Beck denied Martinez’s abuse allegations, calling them “entirely meritless and deliberately misleading” in a statement to Us.)
In court documents obtained by Us on Monday, October 12, Martinez claimed Maceo “wants to speak with the court to provide his side of the story.” Berry, however, believes the litigation has already had a significant impact on him, and testifying is not necessary.
“Requiring him to testify would place him at the center of an intensely emotional dispute between his parents and force him to choose sides in a conflict he is not emotionally equipped to navigate, especially without any therapeutic interventions in place,” Berry argued in court documents. “Given Maceo’s particular vulnerabilities, I worry about the stress imposed on him by being questioned about a highly emotional family conflict.”
Martinez previously requested that a judge not let Berry’s daughter, Nahla Aubry, be involved in the former couple’s ongoing custody battle, stating in court documents submitted on Monday that she “does not have any significant bearing on this case.” (Aubry, 18, who Berry shares with ex Gabriel Aubry, has defended her mother against the allegations that she abused Maceo.)
In court documents, Berry and her legal team also argued that “evidence suggests that [Maceo] has been coached and manipulated by his father.”
Martinez’s lawyer Patrick Baghdaserians denied the allegations in a statement to People, stating, “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. 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.”
In her latest court filing, Berry also responded to Martinez’s claim that Matteo allegedly “took a picture of [Berry] during the aftermath of the recent incident to try to establish some proof of what had happened to him.”
“The only photograph Olivier identifies is a photograph of Halle standing calmly, with her hands in her pockets, several feet away from Maceo,” Berry’s latest court docs claim. “The photograph proves only that a photograph of Halle was taken. It does not corroborate abuse, injury or danger.”
Berry maintained that Martinez’s “allegations are false and that Maceo’s well-being hangs in the balance.”
“There are no photographs showing injuries to Maceo’s neck. There are no medical records documenting injury. There is no emergency room visit. There is no urgent-care visit. There is no pediatric evaluation. There is no report from a treating physician. There is no police report,” Berry stated. “There is no report from a mandated reporter. There is no evidence that any teacher, counselor, school administrator or medical provider observed marks, bruising, redness, swelling or any physical injury consistent with Olivier’s allegations. … These omissions are impossible to reconcile with Olivier’s present claims, and testimony from Maceo cannot address them. These are for Olivier to address.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
