Halle Berry shares cryptic social media post following child abuse allegations
Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse which some readers may find distressing.
Halle Berry has taken to Instagram to share a quote about parenting in the midst of her ongoing custody dispute with her ex-husband Olivier Martinez.
She shared a post to her Story, which read: “If kids disrespect their mom, the root cause often traces back to their relationship with the father.”
It comes after the French actor, 60, alleged that Berry, also 60, had been violent towards their son during an incident on 26 September. Berry denies the allegations.
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On 1 October, he filed for sole custody, claiming that his ex-wife, whom he was married to for two years between 2013 and 2015, ‘physically abused’ their 13-year-old son, Maceo, and cited ‘other instances of abuse’ in recent years.
Martinez was granted a temporary restraining order against Berry, restricting the time she can spend with the teen.
As reported by Page Six, the order has been extended into this week after court proceedings have continued into a second week.
Berry has strongly denied the allegations, and in a declaration filed on 5 October and obtained by PEOPLE, she said: “I have never physically, emotionally, or otherwise abused Maceo.
"I am a victim of domestic violence, and I help victims of domestic violence. I am not a perpetrator of violence. I would never hurt our child.”
Her attorney, Marina Beck, added: “To say this filing is entirely meritless and deliberately misleading would be an understatement. Fortunately, Halle is used to this kind of outrageous conduct from Mr. Martinez and, while she is deeply saddened, she will not allow it to deter her from fighting for Maceo’s best interests and providing him with the love and support he needs.”
Berry's 18-year-old daughter Nahla Aubry, whom she shares with ex Gabriel Aubry, also spoke out to defend her mum, and said she is a 'loving and devoted parent' who is 'warm, supportive, and deeply involved'.
She said that while Berry 'can be strict when necessary', she had never witnessed any abusive behaviour towards her brother.
Page Six reports that Nahla took the stand virtually on Monday (26 October) in the Los Angeles court and testified behind closed doors.
As per PEOPLE Magazine, which accessed court documents, Martinez alleged that Berry ‘grabbed Maceo by the neck and started choking him while shouting, "Who is dominant now?! Who is dominant?"’
In the filing, he alleged that the incident was not isolated and said that Berry had previously been responsible for ‘instances of abuse over the course of the last few years’.
He alleged that this included ‘additional physical attacks against [their] son' and 'verbal and emotional abuse’ against him.
It was ruled on 15 October that Maceo could testify following the abuse claims, but his testimony had to be ‘limited to the request for the issuance of a restraining order’.
As per PEOPLE, Martinez wrote in his declaration: “He should have the opportunity to have his voice heard regarding what he experienced that night.
“If he is prevented from addressing the Court regarding these allegations, I fear that he would be dissuaded from reporting problems or potential abuse in the future.”
Berry urged the court against placing ‘substantial weight’ on the testimony of Maceo, who she described as a ‘coached and manipulated child’.
She wrote in her declaration: “Under these circumstances, the Court should be particularly cautious before placing substantial weight on testimony from a coached and manipulated child who has been repeatedly discussing the case with the parent seeking relief while discounting the testimony of adult witnesses with direct personal knowledge of the relevant events."
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, 10am-8pm Monday to Friday. If you are a child seeking advice and support, call Childline for free on 0800 1111, 24/7.
Topics: Halle Berry, News, US News, Crime
Madison Burgess