Halle Berry’s ex-husband Olivier Martinez accused the actress of abuse despite being confronted with his own previous sworn statement denying any history of domestic violence between the former couple.
The French actor was grilled by Berry’s attorney, Marina Beck, during cross-examination at Los Angeles Superior Court Thursday, marking the fourth consecutive day of proceedings in their ongoing custody dispute and domestic violence restraining order hearing.
Beck questioned Martinez, 60, about allegations that the “Monster’s Ball” actress, 60, had abused him over the course of their relationship, including incidents he claimed dated back a decade.
When asked whether he was alleging that Berry had committed acts of abuse against him dating back 10 years, Martinez replied, “Correct.”
He also acknowledged alleging further abuse in 2023, including statements Berry purportedly made to their 13-year-old son, Maceo.
However, Beck then presented Martinez with a declaration he signed under penalty of perjury on Sept. 30, 2024, in which he stated there had been no history of domestic violence between him and Berry.
After Martinez confirmed that the signature on the document was his, Beck directed him to a section addressing the former couple’s history of domestic violence.
“There is no history of domestic violence between the parties,” Beck read from the declaration.
“That statement was true when you made it on September 30th, 2024, correct?” she asked.
“Correct,” Martinez replied.
The exchange appeared to highlight an inconsistency between Martinez’s previous sworn statement and his more recent allegations against Berry.
However, Martinez’s attorney, Patrick Baghdaserians, told Page Six that the September 2024 declaration was related to a financial request, not the former couple’s custody dispute.
“That was related to need-based attorneys fees, that’s a financial request,” Baghdaserians explained.
“There was no conviction of domestic violence at the time so his statement is correct. At the time there was no restraining order ever requested, ever entered.”
He added, “So the statement, it’s correct. There is no history of domestic violence restraining orders. But again, that is not for anything related to custody, it’s for need-based attorneys fees.”
The testimony came during another contentious day in court for the former spouses.
Berry testified earlier Thursday in a closed courtroom before Martinez was questioned by her attorney.
The courtroom was later cleared as questioning turned to confidential matters involving the former couple’s 13-year-old son, Maceo.
The latest developments follow testimony from the former couple’s son, who spent nearly four hours on the witness stand earlier this week.
The teenager’s testimony was conducted behind closed doors.
Martinez accused Berry of choking their son during an alleged altercation at her home on Sept. 26.
He claims the incident was part of a larger pattern of abusive behavior that caused the teenager emotional distress.
In court filings, Martinez alleged that Maceo contacted him following the incident and pleaded with him to pick him up.
The filing included text messages in which the teenager allegedly wrote, “Please come,” while asking his father to collect him privately.
A judge granted Martinez a temporary domestic violence restraining order earlier this month, giving him primary custody of Maceo and restricting Berry’s time with their son while the case proceeds.
Berry has vehemently denied the allegations through her attorney, Beck, who previously told Page Six that Martinez’s claims were “entirely meritless and deliberately misleading.”
In court documents filed ahead of the hearing, Berry’s legal team accused Martinez of interfering with their son’s education and therapeutic care and involving the teenager in their ongoing legal disputes.
The Oscar winner has asked the court to dismiss Martinez’s restraining order request and lift the temporary restrictions on her contact with Maceo.
She is also seeking sole legal custody, which would give her greater authority over decisions involving their 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 a court declaration, saying she had never witnessed 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 fought 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 Martinez $8,000 per month in child support and cover their son’s school tuition and other expenses.