Halle Berry’s custody battle with Olivier Martinez reached another emotional milestone when her daughter, Nahla Aubry, testified in court. Nahla’s testimony came as Berry’s fiancé, Van Hunt, returned to the witness stand and closing arguments began.
Proceedings at Los Angeles Superior Court entered their second week on Monday. Testimony involving the family remained confidential. A judge could issue a ruling this week, potentially changing the former couple’s custody arrangement for their 13-year-old son, Maceo.
Nahla testifies as Van Hunt returns to the stand in the custody battle
According to Page Six, 18-year-old Nahla testified virtually behind closed doors. She had filed a declaration supporting her mother earlier this month. Hunt, 56, also returned for cross-examination. Both witnesses reportedly testified for less than an hour before the court took a lunch break and began closing arguments.
The hearing followed testimony from Berry and Martinez during the first week. Maceo also testified for nearly four hours on the opening day, with the judge limiting his remarks to Martinez’s restraining order request.
Martinez, 60, is seeking a domestic violence restraining order and sole custody of Maceo. A judge granted him a temporary restraining order on Oct. 1 and awarded him temporary primary custody while the dispute continued. The French actor alleged Berry choked their son during a September altercation. Berry strongly denied the allegations. Her attorney, Marina Beck, previously described Martinez’s claims as “entirely meritless and deliberately misleading.”
Nahla’s declaration supported her mother, stating she had never seen Berry act violently toward Maceo. Berry also accused Martinez of interfering with their son’s education and therapeutic care, undermining her parenting decisions and involving him in their legal dispute.
The Oscar winner asked the court to dismiss Martinez’s request for a restraining order and remove restrictions on her parenting time. She also sought sole authority over Maceo’s education and medical decisions while requesting the restoration of their previous 50-50 physical custody arrangement.
Berry and Martinez met while filming Dark Tide in 2010 and married in France on July 13, 2013. They welcomed Maceo on Oct. 5, 2013, before announcing their separation in October 2015. Although they were declared legally single in December 2016, their divorce proceedings continued until 2023.
Closing arguments were scheduled to continue Tuesday, with a ruling expected this week.
