Halle Berry’s ex-husband Olivier Martinez accused the actress of abuse despite his previous sworn statement denying any history of domestic violence between the former couple.
Berry’s attorney Marina Beck questioned the French actor during cross-examination in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday, the fourth consecutive day of proceedings in his ongoing custody dispute and domestic violence restraining order hearing.
Beck questioned Martinez, 60, about allegations that the “Monster’s Ball” actress, 60, abused her during their relationship, including incidents she claimed date back a decade.
When asked if he was alleging that Berry had abused him 10 years earlier, Martinez responded, “Correct.”
He also pleaded guilty to further abuse charges in 2023, including statements Berry allegedly made to his 13-year-old son Maceo.
However, Beck submitted a declaration to Martinez, dated September 30, 2024, signed under penalty of perjury, in which she stated that there was no history of domestic violence between her and Berry.
When Martinez confirmed that the signature on the document was hers, Beck directed her to a section addressing the former couple’s history of domestic violence.
“There is no history of domestic violence between either party,” Beck said in the announcement.
“When you made this statement on September 30, 2024, it was true, correct?” he asked.
“Correct,” replied Martínez.
The exchange appeared to highlight the inconsistency between Martinez’s previous sworn statement and his recent allegations against Berry.
However, Martinez’s attorney, Patrick Bagdessarians, told Page Six that the September 2024 announcement was related to the financial request, not the former couple’s custody dispute.
“It was related to needs-based attorneys’ fees, it’s a financial request,” Bagdasarians explained.
“There were no convictions for domestic violence at that time, so his statement is accurate. No restraining order was ever requested or entered into at that time.”
He added, “So that statement is correct. There is no history of domestic violence restraining orders. But again, it’s not for anything related to custody, it’s for need-based attorney fees.”
The testimony came during another contentious day in court for the former spouses.
Berry testified in a closed courtroom on Thursday before Martinez was questioned by his attorney.
The courtroom was later evacuated as the questioning turned to confidential matters involving the former couple’s 13-year-old son, Maceo.
The latest development follows testimony from the former couple’s son, who spent nearly four hours on the witness stand earlier this week.
The testimony of the girl was conducted behind closed doors.
Martinez accused Berry of strangling her son during an alleged fight at their home on September 26.
They claim the incident was part of a larger pattern of abusive behavior that caused emotional distress to the teen.
In court filings, Martinez alleged that Maceo approached him after the incident and requested him to pick him up.
The filing included text messages in which the teen allegedly wrote, “Please come,” while he asked his father to pick him up in person.
A judge granted Martinez a temporary domestic violence restraining order earlier this month, giving her primary custody of Maceo and banning Berry from spending time with her son while the case proceeds.
Berry has strongly denied the allegations through her attorney Beck, who previously told Page Six that Martinez’s claims were “completely baseless and intentionally misleading.”
In court documents filed ahead of the hearing, Berry’s legal team accused Martinez of interfering with their son’s education and medical care and involving the teen in their ongoing legal disputes.
The Oscar winner has asked the court to dismiss Martinez’s request for a restraining order and lift a temporary ban on her contact with Maceo.
She is also seeking sole legal custody, which would give her more power over decisions related to her son’s education, medical care, and mental health, as well as the restoration of their previous 50-50 physical custody arrangement.
Berry’s 18-year-old daughter, Nahla Aubry, also defended her mother in court, saying that she never saw Berry abuse her younger brother.
Berry and Martinez married in July 2013 and welcomed Maceo later that year.
They separated in October 2015 after two years of marriage, but their divorce proceedings continued for years as they battled over custody and financial matters.
The former couple eventually reached a settlement in August 2023, agreeing to share joint legal and physical custody of Maceo.
Under the agreement, Berry was ordered to pay Martínez $8,000 per month in child support and cover her son’s school tuition and other expenses.