‘X-Men’ Star Halle Berry Fights To Restore Shared Custody, Accusing Olivier Martinez of Turning Their Son Against Her

The custody battle between Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez has been one of Hollywood’s longest-running legal fights. Berry filed for divorce from the French actor in 2015, and the former couple has spent years in and out of court over how to raise their son, Maceo.

That conflict escalated dramatically last week. On October 1, Martinez filed for a domestic violence restraining order against Berry, accusing her of physically abusing their son, and a Los Angeles judge partly granted the request, limiting Berry’s court-ordered time with Maceo to daytime visits while Martinez seeks sole custody.

Now Berry is pushing back in court. According to documents obtained by People, the Oscar winner has filed a request to restore the 50/50 custody agreement she and Martinez established in August 2023, while accusing her ex of trying to turn their son against her.

In the new filing, Berry is also asking to regain her tie-breaking authority over parental decisions. She wants the court to compel Martinez to attend their court-ordered therapy as well.

At the heart of her filing is the allegation that Martinez has repeatedly tried to align Maceo with him and against her. Berry claims her son often returns from his father’s care angry and combative, and that he repeats Martinez’s side of the former couple’s private conversations.

Berry also alleged that Martinez told her Maceo is old enough to make his own decisions, suggesting she should go along with this to keep him happy. In addition, she accused Martinez of attempting to influence Maceo’s teachers and therapist against her.

Another point of tension involves Berry’s fiancé, Van Hunt. Berry claims Martinez has refused to accept her relationship with Hunt, whom she describes as an important part of Maceo’s life.

She further alleged that Martinez would not allow Maceo to participate in family therapy with them. Berry also claims her ex repeatedly blocked interventions she believed were necessary to address concerns about their son’s behavior at school.

Notably, Berry’s filing did not directly address the abuse allegations Martinez made against her. Her legal team has previously denied those accusations. Martinez has already filed a response asking the court to deny Berry’s request entirely. He pointed out that a temporary restraining order is currently in place against her and alleged there is a risk of immediate danger to Maceo.

In his own filings, Martinez is seeking sole custody, along with a no-contact order covering both himself and their son. He has also requested restrictions preventing Berry from being under the influence around Maceo.

This is hardly the first time the custody fight has played out in public. In earlier filings, Berry sought sole legal custody, claiming Martinez refused to co-parent in a child-centered way and alleging that he had unilaterally ended co-parenting coaching sessions.

At the time, Berry also claimed Maceo would act out toward her after longer stretches with his father. Those same concerns now form a central part of her latest request. With both parents seeking to reshape custody, the case is headed back to court. Until a judge rules, the former couple remains on opposite sides of a deeply personal dispute, with the allegations on both sides still unproven.

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