American actress Halle Berry has asked a Los Angeles court to grant her sole decision-making authority over her 13-year-old son’s education, healthcare and mental health treatment, escalating a custody dispute with her ex-husband, Olivier Martinez.
In a court filing submitted Wednesday, Berry accused Martinez of interfering with efforts to address their son Maceo’s schooling and therapy, arguing that the dispute had delayed interventions she considers necessary.
Berry also claimed that Maceo’s behavioural problems at school had worsened since a temporary domestic violence restraining order was issued against her earlier this month.
According to the filing, school administrators reported that the teenager had become increasingly defiant and disruptive, allegedly harassing a younger student, using inappropriate language and throwing objects at classmates. He was reportedly given a week of detention.
The restraining order was granted after Martinez accused Berry of physically abusing their son during an incident at her home on September 26. Berry has denied the allegations, which have not been established as facts by the court.
In addition to seeking sole decision-making rights, Berry has asked the court to order a year of individual and joint therapy for Maceo with a therapist of her choosing.
She has also proposed that the parents communicate exclusively through the OurFamilyWizard co-parenting application, with limits on routine messages and a requirement to respond to urgent messages within five hours.
The filing included statements from Berry’s fiancé, Van Hunt, her daughter Nahla and school administrators, according to the Daily Mail, which reviewed the documents.
Martinez’s lawyer, Patrick Baghdaserians, told the publication that his team was pleased with a court ruling allowing Maceo to testify. He said the court should hear information about what happened at Berry’s home on the night of September 26.
Berry and Martinez married in 2013 and separated in 2015. Their divorce was finalised in 2023.
The latest filings add to the ongoing legal dispute, with both sides presenting competing accounts of issues involving their son. The court has yet to establish the disputed allegations as findings of fact.
