Halle Berry’s Daughter Nahla Defends Mom Against Abuse Claims

At 18, Nahla Aubry has spent most of her life in the shadow of headlines she didn't create. This week, she chose to put her own words into the record as her mother, Halle Berry, fights allegations from ex-husband Olivier Martinez over their son. In a declaration filed Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court, Nahla defended Berry against claims that she physically abused 12-year-old Maceo during a September 26 incident.

The accusations left her “shocked, very sad, and very upset,” Nahla wrote, according to the Los Angeles Times. “I have never witnessed her act violently toward anyone.”

Martinez alleged in a recent request for a restraining order that Berry put her hands around their son’s neck and choked him. Berry has denied the accusation. A judge temporarily restricted her time with Maceo after granting Martinez’s request, and he is now seeking sole legal and physical custody. Berry wants their previous joint-custody arrangement restored.

Further, Nahla's declaration went beyond defending Berry against the alleged September incident. Nahla also disputed Martinez’s claims about how her mother speaks about her children's fathers. Martinez alleged that Berry made disparaging comments about him to Maceo, including a racially charged remark he claims she made during a 2023 dispute over child support. Nahla described a different experience growing up in Berry’s home, saying her mother encouraged both children to maintain loving relationships with their fathers and was “warm, supportive and deeply involved” despite being strict.

She also recalled the infamous 2012 Thanksgiving confrontation between Martinez and her father, Gabriel Aubry. Nahla said that although she has never seen Berry act violently, she remembers Martinez “beating up my father in our driveway when I was little.” Aubry and Martinez were both injured during that altercation, and each man accused the other of initiating the fight.

Nahla stated she has lived with her younger brother for most of his life and last spoke with him the day after the alleged September incident. According to her declaration, he did not appear unusually upset during that conversation. The current restraining order has since created another problem for the siblings. Nahla said its terms prevent her from contacting Maceo at all.

Berry’s fiancé, Van Hunt, and members of her legal team have also submitted declarations on her behalf. Her attorney has accused Martinez of withholding information about their son’s education, interfering with therapy, and refusing to follow therapist recommendations. Martinez’s attorney has maintained that his client is focused on the child’s welfare and safety.

Berry and Martinez married in 2013 and separated in 2015, but did not finalize their divorce until 2023. Their settlement established joint custody and required Berry to pay Martinez $8,000 per month in child support. The temporary restrictions remain in place ahead of an October 16 hearing, when the court is expected to revisit Martinez’s request.