Halle Berry’s daughter Nahla Aubry testified virtually Monday as the actress’s custody war with ex-husband Olivier Martinez stretched into a second week.
Nahla, 18, appeared behind closed doors at Los Angeles Superior Court after filing a declaration of support for her mother earlier this month. She was believed to have taken the stand for less than an hour as the former couple fought over Martinez’s domestic violence restraining order request.
Berry’s fiancé, Van Hunt, 56, also returned to the stand Monday for cross-examination, with his testimony likewise lasting under an hour. The Grammy-winning musician had finished the first week of testimony with the courtroom cleared during his initial appearance.
Following the morning witnesses, closing arguments began Monday afternoon and will continue Tuesday. A ruling could come this week.
The proceedings have been held almost entirely behind closed doors. During the first week, both Berry, 60, and Martinez, 60, took the stand in sealed sessions. Their 13-year-old son, Maceo, testified for nearly four hours on the opening day, with the judge restricting his remarks to Martinez’s restraining order request.
Martinez is seeking a domestic violence restraining order against Berry and sole custody of Maceo. The “Unfaithful” actor claims Berry choked the teen during an altercation at her home on Sept. 26, and that Maceo contacted him afterward begging to be picked up.
A judge granted Martinez a temporary restraining order on Oct. 1 and awarded him temporary primary custody of Maceo, limiting Berry’s time with their son as the case unfolds.
Berry has vehemently denied the allegations. Her attorney, Marina Beck, previously said that Martinez’s claims were “entirely meritless and deliberately misleading.”
In her own filings, the Oscar winner has accused Martinez of interfering with Maceo’s education and therapeutic care, undermining her parenting decisions, and involving their son in their legal dispute. She wants the judge to dismiss Martinez’s restraining order, lift temporary restrictions on her time with Maceo, and grant her sole legal custody over decisions regarding their son’s education and medical care while restoring their previous 50-50 physical custody arrangement.
On Thursday, Berry’s lawyer grilled Martinez about a 2024 sworn statement in which he denied any history of domestic violence between the former couple. His attorney later argued the declaration was only made to address legal fees.
Berry and Martinez met while filming “Dark Tide” in 2010 and began dating that year. They married in France on July 13, 2013, and welcomed Maceo on Oct. 5, 2013. The couple announced their separation in October 2015 and filed for divorce that year, though they were not declared legally single until December 2016. Their divorce proceedings and related custody and financial disputes continued until 2023, nearly eight years after their initial filing.
Closing arguments will resume Tuesday in Los Angeles.