Actress Halle Berry is doing her best to shield daughter Nahla from the fallout between her ex partner Gabriel Aubry and current fiancé Olivier Martinez.
The star was spotted showering attention on her little one over the weekend after the two men came to blows on Thanksgiving, taking Nahla to see a theatre production of the children's show, Yo Gabba Gabba. Despite Halle's efforts to instill a sense of normality, the presence of four police escorts was a clear reminder of the drama that had unfolded days before, when Olivier and Gabriel ended up in hospital after the fight broke out at a custody handover. According to TMZ's website, the altercation has now prompted Halle to try and extend Gabriel's temporary restraining order to a permanent one – a move that, if successful, will see the Canadian model lose contact with his child indefinitely. An insider told the website: "If Gabriel can't control himself enough to protect Nahla from emotional trauma, it's too risky for him to be around the child, Halle, or her fiancé".
At the moment, Gabriel is now bound by an emergency protective order – effective until December 3 – which requires him to stay 100 yards away from his daughter, her mother and Olivier Martinez. He is scheduled to appear in court on December 13 after his arrest for battery.
His misdemeanour is likely related to he and the actress' well-documented custody battles. The Oscar winner is said to want to relocate her family to France, Olivier's homeland. However, a judge recently upheld Gabriel's objections and blocked a permanent move to Europe. In January, the pair were apparently told they should take joint parenting classes together – a recommendation which came from the LA Department of Children and Family Services and was designed to give them "the tools to work through their issues, and hopefully become better parents for it" according to RadarOnline.
Gabriel also agreed to attend anger management sessions after an incident when he was alleged to have "pushed" his daughter's nanny. A source connected with the case also told the website: "Gabriel has a little bit of a temper, but the good news is that he realises it." Despite their differences, the former couple are both motivated by a firm belief of what they think is best for their child. Halle's desire to move to France – where stars enjoy stricter privacy laws – is said to come from her wish to keep Nahla away from the harsh glare of Hollywood's spotlight. Reflecting on the situation the actress said: "She's just a little kid, and I just want her to be a little kid, and have normality and be like everybody else. As her mum, that's my job - to provide her with that, you know? It's frustrating when you feel like you can't."
And Gabriel is every bit as protective. In 2011 – when their custody battle was being widely publicised – a rep for the Canadian model told Access Hollywood: "The fact is that Gabriel is a caring father who shares custody of Nahla "Gabriel fully believes that a consistent and balanced living situation and two loving parents are crucial for their child even if Ms. Berry feels otherwise. He will always defend his rights as a father and will always consider Nahla's best interest."