A Los Angeles court has issued a significant ruling in the ongoing custody dispute between actress Halle Berry and her ex-husband Olivier Martinez, awarding Martinez primary physical custody of their 13-year-old son, Maceo.
A court decision has temporarily suspended the actress's ability to have overnight visits with the teenager.
A Los Angeles Supreme Court judge, Shelley Kaufman, delivered a verdict following a nine-day trial. The court proceedings involved the examination of multiple testimonies, including that of the child, who testified extensively in a closed session on October 19, and statements from the child's therapist, a school official, and both parents.
A Los Angeles court has rejected a defense request to reinstate a 50/50 shared custody arrangement between Berry and Martinez, with the judge instead assessing the role of each parent in the case. The decision was hailed as a significant victory by Martinez's attorney, Patrick Baghdaserians.
Berry's legal team has confirmed that she has lost physical custody, but clarified that she retains joint legal custody, allowing her to disengage from decision-making if both parents cannot agree on critical issues affecting the child's well-being.
A judge has denied a request by Martínez to maintain a domestic violence protection order issued in early October, but has allowed the temporary custody arrangements stemming from that order to remain in effect until further review.
A long-standing dispute between Martinez and Berry has been marred by allegations of physical assault, which the actress has vehemently denied. The situation has also involved Martinez's older daughter, Nahla Aubry, and Berry's fiancé, Van Hunt, who have both been drawn into the conflict. Notably, Nahla Aubry had previously expressed her own distress over the allegations, stating that she had not personally witnessed any violent behavior from her mother towards her half-brother.
Actress Halle Berry and her husband Olivier Martinez were married in July 2013, before separating two years later. Their divorce was subsequently finalized in August 2023.
