Halle Berry’s 18-year-old daughter addresses claims actress abused her son, 13
Halle Berry's 18-year-old daughter has defended her mother, after the actress was accused of physically abusing her youngest son.
The 60-year-old Hollywood star is currently embroiled in a custody dispute with her ex-husband Olivier Martinez, who alleged that she attacked their son, Maceo, during an incident on 26 September.
Martinez, also 60, was granted a temporary restraining order against Berry on October 1, restricting the time she can spend with their son, who turned 13 earlier this week.
Berry has vehemently denied the allegations, and now her eldest child, Nahla Aubry, has weighed in on the situation and has denied it all on behalf of her mum.
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The teenager, whom Berry shares with her former partner Gabriel Aubry, submitted a declaration to Los Angeles Superior Court on 3 October, according to documents obtained by PEOPLE.
In the statement, Nahla described her mother as a 'loving and devoted parent' who is 'warm, supportive, and deeply involved'.
While acknowledging that Berry 'can be strict when necessary', she insisted she had never witnessed any abusive behaviour towards her brother.
"I never observed anything abusive about her parenting," she wrote.
Nahla, who has lived with Maceo for much of his life, explained that Berry had always made an effort to ensure the siblings spent time together, despite their different fathers and custody arrangements.
"I have never seen my mom hit, slap, choke, grab, or physically abuse Maceo in any way," Nahla said.
"She consistently provided me with stability, support, guidance, and unconditional love," she added, saying she also did the same for Maceo and supported him and his interests.
The teenager also addressed the relationship between Berry and Maceo, explaining that she had often witnessed them playfully wrestling and laughing together.
According to Nahla, she had never seen her brother become distressed during these interactions. She also claimed she had never witnessed her mother behaving violently towards anyone.
The 18-year-old went on to address Martinez's allegations directly, saying she had never seen Berry physically harm Maceo or behave in the manner described in his court filing.
Nahla also claimed that, during a phone call with her mother and brother on 29 September, Maceo did not appear distressed.
The teenager admitted that learning about the allegations had been particularly difficult, describing herself as 'shocked, very sad, and very upset'.
She also expressed frustration towards Martinez, claiming she felt like 'an afterthought' in what she described as his efforts to damage her mother's reputation.
Nahla also spoke about her relationship with Maceo, saying she believed he loved their mother and that the pair shared a close bond. However, she acknowledged having witnessed occasions when her younger brother had been disrespectful or aggressive at home.
She added that she had not spoken to Maceo since the court proceedings began, as she was unsure what contact was permitted.
Nahla said she was concerned about the impact the dispute could have on her brother and his relationship with Berry.
Her declaration also included allegations about Martinez's past behaviour towards her father, Gabriel Aubry, which have not been established in the current proceedings.
As previously reported, Martinez has accused Berry of choking Maceo following an argument while the youngster was using a virtual reality headset.
Berry disputes his account, maintaining that the interaction began as playful roughhousing before becoming heated.
In a separate court declaration, she stated: "I would never hurt our child."
Martinez has since responded to PEOPLE, insisting his actions were motivated solely by concerns for his son's welfare.
"My paramount concern is and always has been the health, welfare, and safety of our son, Maceo," he said.
Berry is seeking to restore the former couple's 50/50 custody arrangement, which was agreed when their divorce was finalised in 2023. The actress previously agreed to pay Martinez $8,000 a month in child support.
There was also an additional agreement that she would pay him ‘4.3% of any income she receives above $2,000,000’.
The temporary restraining order currently limits her parenting time to specified daytime visits, with another court hearing scheduled for 16 October.
Topics: Halle Berry, Parenting, Celebrity, Domestic Abuse
Jen Thomas