Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez’s custody battle is getting messier, and now their teenage son could be called to testify in court.
A judge has ruled that the former couple’s 13-year-old son, Maceo, can testify in the ongoing legal dispute following Martinez’s shocking allegations that Berry abused their child.
“The minor child is permitted to testify,” Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Shelley Kaufman said in court documents obtained by the Daily Mail. However, the judge limited the testimony to “the request for the issuance of a restraining order.”
The ruling comes days after Martinez, 60, asked the court to allow Maceo to “address the court” and share his account of the alleged incident involving Berry, also 60, according to Page Six.
“Given that our son is 13 years old, I believe it would certainly be in his best interest for him to address the court at this time,” the French actor said in court documents.
“He should have the opportunity to have his voice heard regarding what he experienced that night,” Martinez added, arguing that their son’s testimony would be key to helping the court establish what happened on Sept. 26.
“I am the parent who wants the truth to come out. I am the parent who does not want to suppress Maceo’s voice,” he said.
Martinez has also asked the judge to block Berry’s daughter, Nahla Aubry, from testifying after the teenager reportedly defended her famous mother against the allegations.
“Ms. Aubry does not have any significant bearing on this case,” Martinez claimed in his filing, adding that she was “unquestionably biased.” He also argued that Berry should not involve her daughter in litigation that does not concern her.
Last month, Martinez filed for a temporary restraining order against Berry, accusing the Monster’s Ball actress of jumping on Maceo, putting her hands around his neck and choking him. Berry has vehemently denied the allegations.
The dispute has already affected the former couple’s custody arrangement. Martinez was granted primary custody of Maceo, while Berry was ordered to see their son two days a week and every other weekend.
Berry and Martinez married in 2013 and finalized their divorce in 2016. Now, nearly a decade after their marriage ended, their private family dispute is playing out in court, with their teenage son potentially caught in the middle.
