Halle Berry‘s 18-year-old daughter, Nahla Aubry, defended her mom against her ex-husband Olivier Martinez‘s allegations that she abused their 13-year-old son, Maceo.
“In all my years living with my mom, I have never witnessed her act violently toward anyone … I have also never seen my mom throw anything at anyone, not a knife, or plate, or any other object,” Aubry wrote in a sworn statement, obtained by Us, to the Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, October 5. “I have never seen my mom hit, slap, choke, grab, or physically abuse Maceo in any way.”
She went on, “I have seen my mom and Maceo playfully wrestle, tickle each other, and roll around laughing on the floor or on a bed many times. I have never seen my mom place her hands around Maceo’s neck, put him in a chokehold, restrict his breathing, or engage in any conduct remotely resembling the allegations that have been made against her. I have never seen Maceo hurt, upset, cry or do anything but laugh after his and my mom’s playful wrestling.”
Martinez, 60, obtained a domestic violence restraining order on behalf of himself and Maceo on Thursday, October 1, in addition to seeking an emergency change to his and Berry’s 50-50 custody agreement. He asked a judge to issue a “no contact order” for Berry, 60, until an upcoming court hearing takes place on Friday, October 16.
The Revenge alum 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 lawyers subsequently filed a motion to block Martinez’s attempted changes to their custody arrangement, insisting that “this case is not about domestic violence.”
“This is a case about a mother’s unwavering love for her son, her relentless fight for his success, and her continued efforts to implement critical interventions for his well-being over the constant interference and obstruction of a father unable to separate his own self-serving interests from the best interests of the minor child,” her attorneys alleged in court documents obtained by Us.
Aubry submitted a statement in support of her mother as part of Berry’s near 200-page filing to the L.A. Superior Court on Monday. (Berry shares Nahla with ex Gabriel Aubry.)
“My mom is a loving and devoted parent. She can be strict when necessary and expects her children to follow rules and be respectful. At the same time, she is warm, supportive, and deeply involved in our lives,” Nahla wrote to the court. “No matter how demanding her career has been, she always made time for me and prioritized what was important to me.”
The teenager went on, “I have watched her do the same for Maceo. She attended his games, drove him to practices and tournaments, and advocated for his education and access to medical treatment and therapy. She celebrates our successes, supports us through challenges, and is always there when we need her.”
Nahla stressed to the court that she was “shocked, very sad, and very upset” to learn of Martinez’s allegations during a recent phone call with her mother.
“Having lived with my mom my entire life and having personally observed her relationship with Maceo for years, the allegations are completely inconsistent with the mom I know,” she insisted. “I am also heartbroken for Maceo. He is still a child, and it pains me to see him become the subject of a public dispute that he may not fully understand. I am also angry that Olivier did not respect or care about me enough to subject me to headlines about my mom. I feel like I am an afterthought for Olivier in his quest to destroy my mom.”
As for Berry’s relationship with Maceo, Nahla shared her view that the 13-year-old “loves our mom very much and shares a close bond with her.”
“I want very much to speak with my brother and check on him. I want him to know that I love him,” Nahla wrote. “However, because of Olivier’s filings, I am uncertain about what is allowed. I have refrained from reaching out because I do not want to do anything that could create additional complications for my mom. This has been upsetting for me because Maceo is my brother, I care deeply about him, and I am concerned about the impact these proceedings are having on him and his relationship with my mom.”
Berry and Martinez offered two very different versions of what allegedly occurred on September 26. In his original filing, Martinez alleged that Maceo was “panicking” during their phone call that day and that he heard Berry “still yelling at [their son] in the background.”
“When I arrived [Berry] did not come out of the home but [her] partner assisted our son in carrying his bags to my car,” Martinez claimed in his legal declaration.
Martinez alleged that Maceo was “traumatized” by the alleged incident and did “not want to spend time” at Berry’s house. He accused Berry of previously putting their son in “choke holds” while training in “mixed martial arts.”
Berry’s attorney Marina Beck previously denied Martinez’s abuse allegations, calling them “entirely meritless and deliberately misleading” in a statement to Us.
In Monday’s court filing, the actress shared her recollections of the alleged incident that seemingly led to Martinez seeking a temporary restraining order against her.
“As we frequently do, Maceo and I then began playfully roughhousing. I put my arms around his waist, in an attempt to get my phone back and we engaged in the same type of playful wrestling that has occurred countless times before without incident. Given Maceo’s neurodivergence issues, he is quite active and really likes this kind of wrestle play, which he often initiates,” Berry wrote in a court declaration. “As we played, I never place[d] my hands around Maceo’s neck, I never choked him, never restrained his breathing, never told him to tap out, or yell, ‘Who is dominant now?’ as Olivier, who was not there, falsely claims. After the playfulness ended, Maceo unexpectedly became upset and aggressively pushed me, which he had never done before.”
Berry stated that she was not asking the court to “expand her rights or alter the status quo,” instead she simply wanted an August 2023 custody agreement to be reinforced. (Berry and Martinez reached that 2023 custody agreement after nearly eight years of legal battles. The actress previously claimed in 2024 court documents obtained by Us that she spent over $200,000 in legal fees related to their custody fight.)
Due to Martinez being granted a temporary restraining order, Berry claimed she was unable to contact Maceo on Monday — the child’s 13th birthday.
Us has reached out to Berry and Martinez’s representatives for comment.
If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
