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Actress Halle Berry attends the Michael Kors Ready to Wear Spring/Summer 2024 fashion show as part of the New York Fashion Week © Getty

Halle Berry slams 'unjust' ex-husband Olivier Martinez amid custody battle 9 years after split

The Catwoman actress has been embroiled in a lengthy legal battle with the French actor over their son Maceo

Beatriz Colon
Beatriz Colon - New York
New York WriterNew York
August 27, 2024
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Halle Berry's legal battle with her ex-husband Olivier Martinez doesn't appear to be coming to an end any time soon.

Though the Catwoman actress finalized her divorce from the French star last year — eight years after their 2015 split — the former couple has been embroiled in a complicated custody battle over their ten-year-old son Maceo.

The Oscar winner has made no secret of her disdain for her custody and child support terms with both her ex-husband and ex-partner Gabriel Aubry, with whom she shares daughter Nahla, and she is continuing to make her case for the wellbeing of her son.

Halle Berry’s son, Maceo, meets his hero David Beckham in sweet moment after Inter Miami soccer game

In new court documents obtained by People, Halle, who is attempting to secure sole legal custody of Maceo, slammed her ex's attempts of delaying their custody case as "unjust" and that in doing so he is causing "detrimental harm" to their son.

Previous court filings revealed that Maceo is "grade levels" behind in school and has been diagnosed with ADHD, specific learning disorders and mild dyslexia, and she previously slammed Olivier for failing to accept and provide adequate care for him.

It's stated in the documents that: "It would be unjust, and certainly detrimental to Maceo, to continue the September 10, 2024 hearing by 120 days on the basis that third-party percipient witnesses are expected to testify or that Olivier somehow needs to retain other unidentified experts."

Olivier Martinez and Halle Berry attend the premiere of "Extant" on June 16, 2014 in Los Angeles© Getty
Halle and Olivier were married for three years

Olivier reacted with his own court filing, alleging that his ex-wife is "keeping him from being able to defend himself both by not having any time or fees to deal with her extreme request."

MORE: Halle Berry shares surprising parenting rule for daughter Nahla and son Maceo that will impact their future

MORE: Halle Berry reveals major first in relationship with teenage daughter

When Halle started dating Olivier, she was similarly involved in a bitter custody and child support dispute with her ex Gabriel, and the two men were at one point engaged in a physical fight; Olivier was granted an emergency protective order preventing Gabriel from coming within 100 yards of Halle and Nahla, plus Gabriel in turn obtained a restraining order against Olivier.

Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez attends The 32nd Annual Carousel Of Hope Ball on October 23, 2010 in Beverly Hills, California© Getty
Their divorce took eight years to finalize

In 2014, Halle was ordered by a judge to pay Gabriel $16,000 a month in child support, a figure she has since both slammed as "extortion" and managed to slash to a lesser $8,000 a month, plus a percentage from her annual earnings.

MORE: Halle Berry's incredible sheer lace dress in latest red carpet outing has to be seen to be believed

Nahla towers above her mom Halle Berry© Instagram
The actress keeps her kids largely out of the public eye

Similarly, with Olivier, she has to pay him $8,000 a month in child support and an additional 4.3 percent of all income she receives above $2 million, and she is responsible for covering all of his private school tuition, as well as all extracurricular activities.

Van Hunt and Halle Berry during the Michael Kors Spring/Summer 2024 Fashion Show at Domino Park on September 11, 2023 in New York City© Getty
She has been dating Van Hunt since 2020

In a 2021 Instagram post, she spoke out against her child support agreements, sharing a photo that read: "Women don't owe you [expletive]," and writing in the comments section: "It takes great strength [everyday] to pay it. And BTW it's wrong and it's extortion!" plus: "I've been paying it for a decade now. I feel if a woman or man is having to pay support that is way more than the reasonable needs to help SUPPORT the child, I think that is wrong!"

She continued: "I understand some parents (man or woman) may need help, but I also feel in these modern times both men and women have the responsibility to financially take care of their children and work hard and make every effort to do so. The way many laws are set up, people are allowed to USE children in order to be awarded money to live a lifestyle that not only did they not earn, but that is way above and beyond the child's reasonable needs."

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