Halle Berry has claimed her son has been "coached and manipulated" by her ex-husband Olivier Martinez.
The 60-year-old actress is against the idea of her and Martinez's son Maceo, 13, testifying in court as part of the former couple's custody hearings, which come after Berry's ex alleged she choked their boy on September 26.
In documents obtained by PEOPLE magazine, Berry has urged the court not to place "substantial weight" on testimony from the teen - describing him as a "coached and manipulated child" - compared to key eyewitnesses who were there on the day, such as her fiancé Van Hunt, and her 18-year-old daughter Nahla.
The declaration reads: "Van Hunt ('Van') was physically present during the incident and is the only adult third-party eyewitness to the events at issue.
“Nahla Aubry has lived with Halle and Maceo for virtually Maceo’s entire life and is uniquely situated to observe their relationship, family dynamics, and Halle’s parenting over many years.
“Rather than welcome testimony from these witnesses with direct personal knowledge, Olivier dismisses their observations while elevating the testimony of a neurodivergent thirteen-year-old child who has spent the last two weeks primarily in Olivier’s care and with whom Olivier admittedly has been discussing the allegations, the litigation, and his anticipated testimony."
Berry claimed that her ex has been "repeatedly discussing the case" with their son, and "discounting the testimony of adult witnesses with direct personal knowledge of the relevant events".
In response, Martinez's lawyer told PEOPLE: "We vehemently deny such allegations. The child is the primary victim here.
"Victims of abuse should be able to testify regarding the abuse inflicted upon them. We are not surprised that the opposing party does not want the child Maceo to testify.
"The opposing party is seemingly scared of what the child will say.”
The former couple are currently locked in a legal battle over custody of their son, and earlier this week Martinez said that the teenager wants to “provide his side of the story”.
The French actor wrote in his declaration: “He [Maceo] should have the opportunity to have his voice heard regarding what he experienced that night.
“If he is prevented from addressing the Court regarding these allegations, I fear that he would be dissuaded from reporting problems or potential abuse in the future.”
Martinez had added that he anticipates that Berry will try and “prevent our son from addressing the Court directly” but says Maceo’s testimony about what allegedly happened on September 26, when Olivier accused Halle of “physically abusing” the teenager, would be “key to the Court learning the full truth about the events that occurred on September 26th”.
Berry has strenuously denied Olivier’s accusations, saying in her own declaration: “I have never physically, emotionally, or otherwise abused Maceo.
"I am a victim of domestic violence, and I help victims of domestic violence. I am not a perpetrator of violence. I would never hurt our child.”
Berry's attorney Marina Beck has described the original filing as "entirely meritless and deliberately misleading".
She added: “Fortunately, Halle is used to this kind of outrageous conduct from Mr. Martinez and, while she is deeply saddened, she will not allow it to deter her from fighting for Maceo’s best interests and providing him with the love and support he needs.”
Berry’s 18-year-old daughter Nahla, whose dad is ex Gabriel Aubry, also defended the actress in a declaration in which she called her a “loving and devoted parent”.
Berry and Martinez finalised their divorce in 2023, after an eight-year legal battle.