Halle Berry looks upbeat as she returns to court amid custody battle with ex Olivier Martinez and clash with 13-year-old son

Halle Berry appeared in upbeat spirits when she arrived Tuesday at a Los Angeles courthouse amid her custody battle with her ex-husband Olivier Martinez.

The Oscar-winning actress has strenuously denied allegations leveled by Martinez that she abused their 13-year-old son Maceo. 

Berry could at one point be seen smiling outside her latest court appearance in her escalating legal dispute with her former spouse.

She was dressed in a sedately formal outfit of a charcoal trouser suit over a checked blouse accessorized with a matching scarf. 

Her sighting came days after her fiancé Van Hunt testified that Maceo allegedly shoved his mother during a heated argument in their home, according to court documents exclusively obtained by the Daily Mail.

The Daily Mail has contacted Berry's representative and attorney for comment. 

Hunt, the sole identified eyewitness to a September 26 confrontation between the mom and son, asserted in a public court declaration obtained exclusively by the Daily Mail that Berry had shouted: 'So, you're going to fight me now?!' after Maceo allegedly resisted her demands to remove his Oculus virtual reality headset. 

Hunt, in his declaration filed with the Los Angeles Superior Court, said the teenager 'aggressively resisted' when Berry tried to take off the device, then threw it and shoved his mother – prompting the singer to intervene. 

The singer described the Berry and Maceo as yelling at each other and being 'on the verge of tears' before the boy began calling his father and packing his clothes. 

Martinez, 60, is now seeking sole custody of Maceo on the basis that Berry 'physically abused' the boy, according to a bombshell filing on October 1.

Martinez was granted a temporary domestic violence restraining order against Berry, which protects both him and their son from the actress. The order requires Berry to stay 100 yards away from Martinez.

Berry temporarily lost 50/50 custody on October 1 and has been allowed to see Maceo only during court-ordered visitation two days a week and every other weekend.

Her attorney Marina Beck told the Daily Mail that the filing is 'entirely meritless,' adding that Berry is 'used to this kind of outrageous conduct' from Martinez.

Maceo has now been cleared by a judge to testify in the dispute later this month. Berry has vehemently denied the allegations.

According to Hunt, Martinez has 'emboldened' the boy by giving him too much control over his own life.

In his declaration, Hunt, a Grammy-winning musician, defended his fiancée as a 'loving, attentive, highly engaged, forbearing mother' who has never been abusive.

He said that he and Maceo had developed a 'close relationship' since he began dating Berry six years ago, five of which they have lived together.

On September 26, the day of the alleged incident, Hunt said that Maceo was in 'great spirits' and that he and his mother went shopping for birthday gifts; he celebrated his 13th birthday on October 5.

They were back at home when Maceo when Berry went to the boy's room with Hunt close behind her.

According to his statement, Hunt said he heard Berry say 'Maceo,' to which the boy gave a 'monotone' reply of 'Yeh.'

Soon after Maceo called out Hunt's name 'playfully,' which he took to mean his mother was tickling him, Hunt claims.

But then Hunt heard Berry tell Maceo twice that 'you don't have anything to prove' – the second time with a 'pleading' in her voice that made Hunt go into the room, he said in the statement.

Hunt added: 'Halle instructed Maceo to remove the Oculus and asked, 'So, you're going to fight me now?!'

'Maceo ignored her. Halle reached to remove the headset from over Maceo's head, but Maceo aggressively resisted and then threw off the headset himself and shoved Halle. I immediately jumped in between them.

'They started yelling at each other with me standing between them. Maceo began threatening to call Olivier.'

According to Hunt, this was the first time he had ever heard Maceo make such a threat.

He said in his statement: 'I could also see that both Maceo and Halle were on the verge of tears - they both appeared like they wanted to work things out but didn't know how; which was heartbreaking to see.

'Maceo started calling Olivier [his father] and began packing some clothes. Halle did not want Maceo leaving home late in the evening or removing his belongings, but to de-escalate the situation, I encouraged Halle to allow Maceo some space and to take whatever belongings he wanted with him'.

Martinez arrived and took Maceo away. The boy came back to his mother's house two days later, during which time, Hunt said, their interactions were 'normal, positive and loving.' 

According to Hunt, Berry and Martinez have long argued over how best to attend to Maceo's 'educational and mental health needs' which include 'behavioral challenges and impulse control issues.'

He also claims in the statement that Martinez has 'emboldened' the boy by giving him too much control over his own life. 

Hunt said he has tried to mediate between Berry and Martinez, having 'multi-hour conversations' on the phone with the two.

But, according to Hunt, Martinez would not back down and once said: 'When she [Berry] stops, I will stop.'

Hunt claimed Martinez resisted all of the suggestions to get help for his son and then changed his tune, claiming that Maceo should be the one to decide, even though he is still a minor.

After Maceo learned of this, he became 'emboldened' and, after coming back from a visit to his father, he told Berry: 'I should be the one to decide.'

In his declaration, Hunt also gave fresh insight into Berry's relationship with Maceo and said they often wrestle with each other, adding that they like roughhousing together.

'Their interactions are always loving and playful,' Hunt said.

'I have never witnessed Halle choke Maceo, place him in a headlock, put her hands around his neck, restrict his breathing, force him to "tap out" or make statements such as: "Who is dominant now?"' – a reference to Martinez's claims.

The only time Hunt heard anyone use the word 'dominant' was Maceo when describing his performance after a soccer game.

But this became a source of frustration for Martinez, who chided Hunt for agreeing with Maceo's concern that he wasn't strong enough.

According to Hunt, Martinez told him he should 'have let Maceo dream.' 

'I told him that Maceo has plenty of dreams, what he doesn't need, especially from me - a person who really cares for him - is insincerity,' Hunt said in the court papers.

Berry and Martinez finalized their divorce in 2023 after a bitter eight-year battle.

The Monster's Ball star was ordered to pay Martinez $8,000 a month in child support and 4.3 percent of any income she received over $2 million in additional support.

The judge overseeing the case has imposed a restraining order against Berry and will determine if it will stay in place permanently.

Berry's daughter Nahla Ariela, 18, has already submitted a declaration saying she had never seen her mom being abusive.