Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez face another development in their ongoing restraining order dispute. A judge has allowed their 13-year-old son, Maceo Martinez, to testify. The ruling comes after both parents presented conflicting accounts of an alleged September incident.
A judge allows Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez’s 13-year-old son to testify in the restraining order dispute
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Shelley Kaufman approved Maceo’s testimony on Wednesday. Her order limited his testimony strictly to the restraining order request. The judge also warned that the teenager must not be coached.
The ruling followed Martinez’s request for a temporary domestic violence restraining order against Berry. He accused his ex-wife of physically abusing their son during an incident on September 26. Berry has denied the allegations, which reportedly included claims of choking.
Berry opposed allowing Maceo to testify, arguing that it could harm his emotional well-being. In a court filing, she said the hearing could place him between his parents. She also argued that his testimony could damage his relationships with both of them.
Berry further claimed that the September incident involved her enforcing boundaries with Maceo. She alleged that her son had also behaved physically aggressively toward her. Her filing argued that video evidence and adult witnesses contradicted Martinez’s account.
Martinez, however, said their son wanted the opportunity to speak directly to the court. He claimed Maceo worried that nobody would believe him over his mother. Martinez argued that hearing his son’s account would help the court understand what happened.
His attorney, Patrick Baghdaserians, also defended the request in comments to the Daily Mail. He said Martinez believed the court needed all available information about the incident. He warned that preventing Maceo from speaking could discourage future reports of potential abuse.
The judge reminded both parents that existing court orders remained in effect. Those restrictions included discussing custody issues and court filings with their son. The order also prohibited coaching the teenager before his testimony.
Berry and Martinez married in 2013 and separated in 2016. Their latest legal dispute adds another difficult chapter to their co-parenting relationship. The court has not established the disputed allegations as fact.
