Halle Berry’s Instagram post sparks fresh court clash in custody battle with ex Olivier Martinez
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Halle Berry’s Instagram post sparked a courtroom dispute on Tuesday, October 27, after Olivier Martinez’s attorney accused the actress of violating a temporary restraining order during their ongoing custody battle.
The dispute arose during a nearly two-week hearing concerning their 13-year-old son, Maceo, with the judge ultimately denying a request to reopen evidence, according to Page Six.
Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez clash over Instagram post in court
Patrick Baghdaserians, who represents 60-year-old actor Martinez, asked Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Shelley Kaufman to reopen evidence so he could question Berry, 60, about a message published on her Instagram account on Monday. The post appeared amid the former couple’s legal dispute and was subsequently deleted.
The message read, “If kids disrespect their moms, the root cause often traces back to the relationship with the father.” The post was interpreted as an apparent swipe at Martinez, prompting his attorney to raise the issue in court immediately after evidence had closed.
Baghdaserians argued that the post was the reason the parties were back in court, claiming it was “disturbing my client’s peace, disturbing my client’s calm.” He also pushed back against the suggestion that his request was motivated by media attention, maintaining that the message had appeared on Berry’s own Instagram page.
However, Berry’s attorney, Marina Beck, strongly opposed the request, describing it as a “last-minute grasp at straws, nothing more than a witch hunt.” Beck argued that Martinez’s legal team intended to reopen evidence to continue what she called its “false narrative.” She also said she believed the request had deliberately been made in open court in front of reporters.
Judge Kaufman ultimately denied the motion to reopen evidence. Following the ruling, the courtroom was cleared for closing arguments. The court adjourned shortly before noon, with a decision in the nearly two-week hearing expected on Thursday.
Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez’s heated custody battle
The courtroom confrontation came amid an increasingly contentious legal battle over the former couple’s son. Martinez is seeking sole custody of Maceo and a domestic violence restraining order against Berry.
Martinez accused Berry of physically abusing their son during an alleged incident at her home on September 26. According to his allegations, Berry put her hands around Maceo’s neck and choked him. Berry has vehemently denied the allegations through her attorney, who previously described Martinez’s court filing as “entirely meritless and deliberately misleading.”
On October 1, a judge granted Martinez a temporary restraining order, along with temporary primary physical custody of Maceo and restrictions on Berry’s parenting time. The order has since been extended while the court considers the allegations.
Berry has countered that Martinez interfered with Maceo’s education and therapeutic care and involved their son in the legal dispute. She is asking the court to dismiss the restraining-order request, restore their previous 50-50 physical custody arrangement and grant her sole legal authority over decisions concerning their son’s education and medical care.
The court is expected to issue its decision on Thursday as the dispute over custody, parenting arrangements and the restraining-order allegations continues.
