Halle Berry Seeks Sole Custody of Son Maceo, Says Ex-Olivier Martinez Refuses to Co-Parent
Halle Berry is seeking sole custody of her son, Maceo, alleging that his father, Oliver Martinez, “refuses to co-parent or communicate in a child-centred way.”
Weeks after The Union actress, 58, alleged that her ex-husband, also 58, no longer sees a co-parenting coach, and after a source said co-parenting “has not been easy” for the former spouses, Berry filed for sole legal custody of their 10-year-old son on Friday, August 16.
Halle Berry admits in the filing that she is “not perfect,” but that she is “always trying to prioritize the best interests of her son, Maceo, 10″. According to the filing, Martinez’s “turbulent and disruptive behaviour” toward interventions for her son’s educational and therapeutic needs has allegedly taken a toll on her relationship with Berry.
Berry claims Martinez has interfered with Maceo’s psychiatric and educational evaluations, including tutoring him after he had fallen behind in school, using football as leverage to negotiate custody terms, dismissing therapy for the 10-year-old and co-parenting therapy, and failing to comply with parenting time agreements. Also read – Ryan Seacrest’s ex-Shana Wall sues American Airlines for internal injuries after drinking plastic-tainted drink
“[Martinez’s] actions and lack of cooperation regarding Maceo’s psychological and educational needs have been detrimental to Maceo’s health and well-being,” the filing says. “Defendant’s refusal to allow early interventions has caused Maceo to fall further behind in school, caused Maceo’s aggressive behaviours to worsen, and caused further damage to the relationship between Maceo and Plaintiff.”
Specifically, Halle Berry claims Maceo was “acting out” toward her after “longer periods of custody” with his father and that her son was “repeating disputes” the former couple had in private. She claims Martinez claimed the boy “was old enough to make his own decisions.”
A lawyer for Martinez said he will “respond to these allegations” in the coming weeks.
More on Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez
Berry and Martinez met in 2010 and split in October 2015 after two years of marriage. Since 2020, the actress has been linked to her musician boyfriend Van Hunt.
The former couple finalized their divorce last year after an eight-year court battle, which saw the actress pay nearly $8,000 a month in child support for their son, Maceo, according to court documents. She was also ordered to pay Martinez 4.3% of any income she earns that exceeds $2 million and was required to pay for her son’s private school tuition, 100% of his extracurricular activities, and his medical care.
According to the divorce decree, Martinez must take “reasonable steps” to find employment and contribute to Maceo. Berry and Martinez were also shown to have refrained from speaking ill of each other in front of Maceo.
Source – USA Today