Halle Berry’s daughter, Nahla Aubry, is standing firmly behind her mother as the Oscar-winning actress faces serious abuse allegations involving her 13-year-old son, Maceo Martinez, in an increasingly contentious custody battle with her ex-husband, Olivier Martinez.
In a rare declaration submitted to Los Angeles Superior Court, Nahla, 18, challenged claims that her mother physically abused her younger half-brother. According to Page Six, the college student described Berry as a “loving and devoted parent” who “can be strict when necessary,” but insisted that she has never witnessed the actress become physically violent toward Maceo.
“I have never seen my mom hit, slap, choke, grab, or physically abuse Maceo in any way,” Nahla stated.
She directly addressed the most serious allegation against Berry, which involves an alleged physical confrontation at the actress’s home in September.
“I have never seen my mom place her hands around Maceo’s neck, put him in a chokehold, restrict his breathing, or engage in any conduct remotely resembling the allegations that have been made against her.”
Nahla Aubry’s decision to speak out is particularly notable because Berry has spent years keeping her children largely away from public attention. Now that Nahla is an adult, her account offers a personal perspective on the family dynamic being disputed in court.
Nahla explained that she lived with Maceo for much of his childhood while dividing her own time between Berry and her father, Canadian model Gabriel Aubry. She recently moved from California to Massachusetts to attend college.
Despite her mother’s demanding Hollywood career, Nahla said Berry “always made time for me and prioritized what was important to me.” She described watching her mother extend that same attention and care to Maceo.
“She attended his games, drove him to practices and tournaments, and advocated for his education,” Nahla stated. “She celebrates our successes, supports us through challenges and is always there when we need her.”
While defending Berry, Nahla acknowledged that her mother maintains expectations and rules at home.
“My mom is a loving and devoted parent. She can be strict when necessary and expects her children to follow rules and be respectful. At the same time, she is warm, supportive and deeply involved in our lives.”
“I never observed anything abusive about her parenting.”
The declaration comes amid allegations filed by Martinez, 60, who claims Berry physically assaulted their son during a September 26, 2026, confrontation.
According to court documents, Martinez alleged that a disagreement began while Maceo was using a virtual reality headset. He accused Berry of physically confronting their son, grabbing his neck and choking him during the altercation.
Martinez also alleged that other incidents of physical, verbal, and emotional abuse had occurred in previous years. Berry has denied the accusations.
The allegations prompted Martinez to request a domestic violence restraining order and sole custody of Maceo, escalating a legal dispute that has already stretched across several years.
A Los Angeles judge granted Martinez a temporary restraining order on October 1 and restricted Berry’s parenting time while the case proceeds.
The temporary order limits Berry’s contact with Martinez and modifies her time with Maceo to specified daytime visitation periods. The judge also declined to immediately impose the sobriety testing Martinez requested.
The restrictions are temporary and do not represent a final judicial finding that Berry committed abuse. Another hearing is scheduled for October 16.
For Nahla, however, the accusations have already taken an emotional toll.
The 18-year-old said she was “shocked, very sad and very upset” when she learned about Martinez’s claims. She also described feeling “heartbroken” for Maceo, whom she called “funny, smart and full of personality.”
Beyond the physical abuse allegations, Nahla Aubry also responded to claims concerning her mother’s alleged comments about race.
Martinez accused Berry of making “racially charged statements” toward their son. Nahla disputed that characterization, saying she had never heard her mother make “racially insensitive or racially charged comments.”
“My mom is biracial, I am biracial, and Maceo is biracial,” she wrote. “Throughout my life, my mom taught both of us to embrace who we are, appreciate our differences and respect people from all backgrounds.”
Her statement places the family’s racial identity and upbringing at the center of her response to allegations that Berry engaged in racially inappropriate behavior.
Nahla also recalled her most recent conversation with her brother, saying they spoke by telephone on September 29 while Berry was driving him to school.
According to her declaration, Maceo listened as Nahla talked about college and “sounded happy for me and didn’t seem upset about anything.”
She said she has wanted to reconnect with him but has held back because she is uncertain about the restrictions arising from the ongoing court proceedings.
“I want very much to speak with my brother and check on him. I want him to know that I love him,” Nahla stated.
Her account adds another emotional dimension to a case that now involves competing descriptions of what happened inside Berry’s home and how the family relationships have been affected.
Nahla’s declaration also raises an older chapter in the family’s history.
Nahla recalled a physical confrontation between Martinez and her father, Gabriel Aubry, when she was younger. She also said she had never witnessed her mother behave violently toward anyone or speak negatively about either of her children’s fathers.
That history dates back to a highly publicized Thanksgiving 2012 fight between Martinez and Aubry outside Berry’s residence.
The Los Angeles Times reported at the time that the confrontation occurred during an already difficult custody dispute involving Nahla. Aubry was arrested after the altercation, and the two men offered conflicting accounts about who initiated the violence. Berry and Aubry subsequently reached an agreement in their custody dispute, although its terms were not publicly disclosed.
The incident provides additional context for the complicated relationships surrounding Berry’s children, though it does not establish what occurred during the September 2026 incident involving Maceo.
Berry and Martinez married in 2013 and filed for divorce in October 2015. Their divorce was finalized in August 2023, nearly eight years after their separation.
Under their divorce settlement, they agreed to joint legal custody of Maceo. Berry was also ordered to pay Martinez $8,000 per month in child support, along with additional payments based on her income and certain expenses related to their son’s education and activities.
Their difficulties continued after the divorce became final.
In May 2024, the former couple agreed to participate in co-parenting therapy intended to improve communication and resolve disagreements involving their son.
However, Berry later accused Martinez of failing to participate as agreed. She asked a judge to intervene and enforce the arrangement. The judge denied that particular emergency request because the court found insufficient urgency.
Those longstanding disagreements are once again part of the current dispute.
Berry’s attorney, Marina Beck, has strongly rejected Martinez’s allegations and questioned his conduct throughout the family’s custody proceedings.
“There is voluminous evidence, including numerous judicial rulings, that Olivier Martinez repeatedly violated court orders and interfered with necessary therapeutic and educational interventions to the detriment of his and Halle Berry’s minor son, Maceo — misconduct for which Mr. Martinez has already been legally sanctioned,” Beck told Page Six on October 1.
That characterization reflects Berry’s legal team’s position, rather than an independent finding about the latest abuse allegations.
Berry has also personally addressed the accusations.
The actress denied ever physically or emotionally abusing Maceo in a declaration filed with the court. She referenced her own experiences with domestic violence and her advocacy for survivors while rejecting the suggestion that she would intentionally harm her child.
Berry is seeking to restore the previous 50/50 custody arrangement.
In her court response, she accused Martinez of contributing to tension between her and Maceo through his “continued attempts to align Maceo with him and against me in many areas of our child’s life and activities.”
She claimed those dynamics have caused Maceo to return to her care “angry and combative.”
Martinez, meanwhile, has maintained through his legal representation that protecting his son’s health and safety is the motivation behind his request. His attorney, Patrick Baghdaserians, has publicly emphasized that Maceo’s welfare is his client’s primary concern.
With both parents presenting conflicting accounts, the court must consider the evidence and determine what custody and protective arrangements are appropriate.
Nahla Aubry’s statement does not independently resolve the allegations about the September incident, which she did not claim to have witnessed. Instead, it adds testimony about her own experiences living with Berry, watching her mother raise Maceo and maintaining a relationship with her younger brother.
As the October 16 hearing approaches, Nahla’s declaration makes clear that the dispute extends beyond the relationship between Berry and Martinez. Their children are also navigating the consequences of a deeply personal family conflict that has become public.
