Halle Berry’s bitter custody battle with ex-husband Olivier Martinez has taken another dramatic turn, with the Oscar-winning actress’s 18-year-old daughter stepping forward to defend her mother against disturbing allegations of child abuse.
Nahla Aubry, Berry’s daughter with former boyfriend Gabriel Aubry, has submitted an emotional court declaration disputing claims that her famous mother physically abused her younger half-brother, Maceo.
The 60-year-old actress is facing serious accusations from Martinez, who claims Berry became physically violent with their son during a September 26 incident at her home.
Martinez, also 60, has requested sole custody of Maceo and obtained a temporary restraining order that significantly limits Berry’s time with the boy.
But Nahla is now telling the court that the allegations do not match the mother she has known her entire life.
In a declaration filed October 3 in Los Angeles Superior Court, Nahla described Berry as a loving, supportive and deeply involved parent who has always prioritized her children’s well-being.
“I never observed anything abusive about her parenting,” Nahla wrote.
The teenager acknowledged that her mother could be strict and expected her children to follow household rules, but insisted she had never witnessed anything resembling the violent behavior described in Martinez’s court filings.
“I have never seen my mom hit, slap, choke, grab, or physically abuse Maceo in any way,” she stated.
Nahla went further, specifically addressing Martinez’s allegation that Berry placed her hands around their son’s neck and restricted his breathing.
She insisted she had never witnessed her mother engage in such behavior.
The explosive family dispute began when Martinez filed legal papers on October 1 accusing Berry of attacking Maceo during a confrontation several days earlier.
According to Martinez, the actress allegedly grabbed their son by the neck and choked him while making threatening remarks.
He also accused Berry of other instances of physical and emotional abuse over the years.
Berry has strongly denied the accusations.
In her own court declaration, the actress insisted she had never physically or emotionally abused Maceo and described herself as a survivor of domestic violence who has spent years advocating for victims.
The actress has argued that Martinez’s allegations distort what happened during a dispute involving their son.
Nahla’s declaration offers an additional perspective from someone who has spent years living alongside both Berry and Maceo.
Although Nahla shares a father with neither of Berry’s ex-husbands, she explained that she has maintained a close relationship with her younger brother throughout his life.
She said her mother regularly coordinated the children’s schedules after separating from Martinez so that the siblings could spend as much time together as possible.
Despite Berry’s demanding Hollywood career, Nahla recalled that her mother consistently attended school activities, sporting events and other important milestones.
She described Berry as someone who drove Maceo to practices and tournaments, advocated for his education and medical care, and supported both children through personal challenges.
Nahla also addressed the physical interactions between her mother and brother that she had witnessed over the years.
According to the teenager, Berry and Maceo frequently engaged in playful wrestling, tickling and laughing together.
She said those interactions never appeared frightening or harmful.
Instead, Nahla described them as ordinary moments of affection between a mother and son.
But perhaps the most explosive part of her declaration involved a troubling memory from her own childhood.
Nahla claimed she remembered Martinez physically attacking her father, Gabriel Aubry, during a confrontation in the driveway of their home.
The accusation referred to a widely reported altercation between Martinez and Aubry in 2012, when the two men were involved in a physical fight outside Berry’s residence.
Both men suffered injuries during the incident, which occurred amid an earlier custody dispute involving Nahla.
In her new statement, Nahla contrasted that memory with her experiences growing up around Berry.
She maintained that she had never witnessed her mother behaving violently toward anyone.
Nahla also disputed suggestions that Berry had attempted to damage her children’s relationships with their fathers.
She said the actress had consistently encouraged her and Maceo to maintain loving connections with both Gabriel Aubry and Martinez, regardless of disagreements between the adults.
The teenager expressed particular concern about how the latest legal battle might affect her younger brother.
Nahla revealed that she spoke with Berry and Maceo during a telephone conversation on September 29, just three days after the alleged incident.
According to her declaration, Maceo did not appear distressed during that conversation.
She acknowledged, however, that she was not present during the September 26 confrontation itself.
Nahla also described occasions when her younger brother had been disrespectful or unwilling to follow household rules, suggesting that disagreements between Maceo and their mother were not unusual.
The teenager said learning about Martinez’s accusations left her shocked, saddened and deeply upset.
She expressed frustration with her former stepfather and accused him of treating her as an afterthought in what she believes is an effort to destroy her mother’s reputation.
Her comments reflect her personal views and allegations, not findings made by the court.
Nahla also revealed that she had not spoken with Maceo since the latest court filings because she was uncertain whether the legal restrictions permitted their usual contact.
She said she hoped to reconnect with him and worried about the emotional impact the proceedings could have on their sibling relationship.
Meanwhile, the legal consequences for Berry have already been significant.
On October 1, a Los Angeles judge granted Martinez a temporary restraining order covering both him and Maceo.
The order temporarily restricted Berry’s parenting time to specified daytime visits rather than the equal custody arrangement the former couple previously shared.
Under the temporary schedule, Berry is permitted visits on Mondays and Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., along with designated weekend visitation hours.
The judge declined to impose certain additional restrictions requested by Martinez, including sobriety monitoring, finding insufficient evidence to justify those measures at this stage.
Berry is now seeking to restore the previous 50-50 custody arrangement.
The dispute represents another painful chapter in the former couple’s complicated relationship.
Berry and Martinez married in France in 2013, the same year their son was born.
They announced their separation in 2015, but their divorce was not finalized until 2023 following years of disagreements involving finances and parenting arrangements.
Their custody disputes have continued despite the end of their marriage.
In a statement addressing the latest allegations, Martinez maintained that his actions were motivated entirely by concern for Maceo.
“My paramount concern is and always has been the health, welfare, and safety of our son, Maceo,” the French actor said.
He added that he hoped Berry would take responsibility for whatever occurred during the September confrontation and prioritize their son’s well-being.
Berry’s legal representatives have rejected Martinez’s accusations as misleading and without merit, arguing that the actress remains focused on protecting her child.
The actress has also emphasized her longtime advocacy for domestic violence survivors.
Berry has previously spoken publicly about witnessing domestic violence as a child and experiencing abuse in an adult relationship, experiences she says shaped her commitment to helping other victims.
For now, neither parent’s version of the disputed September incident has been established as fact by the court.
The temporary restraining order is not a final determination that Berry committed abuse, and Nahla’s statement does not independently establish what happened when she was not present.
A hearing scheduled for October 16 will give the court another opportunity to examine the allegations and decide whether additional protective measures are necessary.
Until then, Berry remains at the center of a deeply personal legal battle involving her former husband, her teenage daughter and her young son.