Halle Berry’s 13-year-old son, Maceo, took the stand for nearly four hours on Monday, October 19, in the actress’s ongoing custody fight with her ex-husband, Olivier Martinez.
Judge Shelley Kaufman cleared the courtroom at Los Angeles Superior Court to protect the teen’s privacy, according to Page Six.
His testimony remains sealed. Berry arrived at the courthouse with her fiancé, Van Hunt, while Martinez came with Maceo and his legal team.
At the center of the case is Martinez’s request for a domestic violence restraining order. He alleges that Berry choked Maceo at her home on September 26 during a disagreement over a virtual reality game. Berry says the two were playfully roughhousing, and she has denied abusing her son.
“I have never physically, emotionally, or otherwise abused Maceo,” Berry said in an earlier court filing. “I would never hurt our child.”
Ahead of the hearing, Berry had tried to prevent Maceo from testifying. She claimed her ex-husband spent weeks discussing the case with their son and preparing him to take the stand, which she feared could influence his account and place additional emotional pressure on him.
Martinez disagreed. “He should have the opportunity to have his voice heard regarding what he experienced that night,” he wrote in a court declaration.
Judge Kaufman ultimately allowed Maceo to testify about the domestic violence allegations, but not the broader custody dispute.
Martinez had already obtained a temporary restraining order on October 1 that significantly reduced Berry’s parenting time with Maceo. He is now seeking sole legal and physical custody, while Berry wants the restrictions lifted and their previous 50/50 arrangement restored.
Her 18-year-old daughter, Nahla Aubry, whom she shares with ex Gabriel Aubry, defended her mother in a separate declaration. The teen is expected to testify in the case, which continues on Tuesday, October 20.
