Highlights
- Halle Berry’s 18-year-old daughter Nahla Aubry has spoken out in support of her mother
- Nahla said she has never witnessed Berry physically abuse her 13-year-old son Maceo
- She described Berry as a loving and devoted parent who has always supported her children
- Berry has denied her ex-husband Olivier Martinez’s allegations and said she is a victim of domestic violence herself
- Martinez has sought sole custody of Maceo, with a further court hearing scheduled for October 16
Halle Berry’s daughter Nahla Aubry has defended her mother after the actress was accused by her ex-husband Olivier Martinez of physically abusing their 13-year-old son, Maceo.
Nahla, 18, made the comments in a declaration filed with the Los Angeles Superior Court on October 3. She said she had never witnessed anything abusive about Berry’s parenting and strongly denied seeing her mother physically harm Maceo.
What Nahla said about her mother
In her declaration, Nahla described Berry as a “loving and devoted parent” who is warm, supportive and deeply involved in her children’s lives.
She said her mother has always made time for her and Maceo despite her public career, attending his games, taking him to practices and supporting his education and medical needs.
Nahla also said she had never seen Berry hit, slap, choke, grab or otherwise physically abuse Maceo. She described seeing the pair playfully wrestle and tickle each other, saying Maceo appeared happy afterwards.
She also said Berry had never spoken negatively about either of her children's fathers and had encouraged them to maintain relationships with them.
Nahla recalls an incident involving her father
Nahla also referred to an incident from her childhood involving her father, Gabriel Aubry, and Martinez.
She alleged that she remembered Martinez beating up Aubry in a driveway when she was young. Nahla stressed that, in contrast, she had never witnessed Berry acting violently towards anyone.
Nahla said she was “shocked” and “very sad” when she learned about Martinez's allegations against her mother. She also expressed concern about how the ongoing legal proceedings could affect her relationship with Maceo.
She said she had not spoken to her younger brother since the filing because she was uncertain about what was permitted, but hoped to be able to speak with him.
What Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez have said
Martinez filed for sole custody of Maceo after alleging that Berry had physically abused their son during an incident on September 26. He also alleged there had been other instances of abuse in recent years.
Berry has denied the allegations and has said she is a victim of domestic violence herself.
Martinez, meanwhile, said his primary concern was the health, welfare and safety of their son and that his actions were motivated by protecting Maceo.
A temporary restraining order obtained by Martinez on October 1 restricted Berry’s parenting time to daytime visits. Her current visitation schedule allows her to see Maceo on Mondays and Tuesdays from 10am to 8pm, as well as Saturdays and Sundays during the same hours.
A further hearing is scheduled for October 16 as the custody dispute continues.
