Halle Berry’s 18-year-old daughter, Nahla Aubry, has come forward in support of her mother as the actress faces allegations of physically abusing her younger son in an ongoing custody dispute.
Nahla, whose father is Berry’s former partner Gabriel Aubry, submitted a declaration to Los Angeles Superior Court on October 3, according to documents obtained by PEOPLE. In the statement, she described Berry as a devoted parent and said she had never witnessed her mother physically abuse her younger half-brother, Maceo.
The declaration comes after Berry’s ex-husband, Olivier Martinez, accused the actress of hurting their son during an incident on September 26. Martinez was granted a temporary restraining order on October 1 that limits Berry’s parenting time with Maceo, who turned 13 earlier this week.
Berry has strongly denied the allegations.
Halle Berry’s daughter Nahla Aubry
In her declaration, Nahla portrayed her mother as a caring and involved parent who has consistently supported both of her children.
Although she acknowledged that Berry could be strict when necessary, she said she had never seen her mother behave abusively toward Maceo.
“I never observed anything abusive about her parenting,” she wrote.
Nahla, who has lived with her younger brother for much of his life, also described the effort Berry has made to maintain a close relationship between the siblings despite their different fathers and custody arrangements.
“I have never seen my mom hit, slap, choke, grab, or physically abuse Maceo in any way,” Nahla said.
“She consistently provided me with stability, support, guidance, and unconditional love.”
The teenager stated that she had never seen Berry physically harm her brother in the way Martinez described in his court filing.
However, Nahla acknowledged that she had witnessed occasions when her younger brother behaved disrespectfully or aggressively at home. She said she had not spoken to him since the legal proceedings began because she was unsure what contact was permitted.
Nahla says allegations have taken an emotional toll
The situation has also been difficult for Nahla personally. In her declaration, she described feeling shocked and upset after learning about the allegations against her mother.
She also expressed frustration with Martinez, claiming she felt like ‘an afterthought’ in what she characterized as his efforts to damage Berry’s reputation.
Despite the dispute, Nahla said she believed Maceo loved their mother and that the two shared a close bond. She also voiced concern about the potential impact of the court proceedings on her younger brother and his relationship with Berry.
What Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez have said
The dispute centers on conflicting accounts of what happened between Berry and Maceo on September 26.
Martinez has alleged that Berry choked their son following an argument involving a virtual reality headset. Berry has disputed his account, maintaining that the interaction began as playful roughhousing before escalating.
In a separate court declaration, the actress firmly denied intentionally harming her child.
“I would never hurt our child.”
Martinez has also responded to PEOPLE, saying: “My paramount concern is and always has been the health, welfare, and safety of our son, Maceo,” he said.
The allegations remain disputed, and the accounts presented by the two parents differ.
Custody arrangement remains at the center of the dispute
Berry is seeking to restore the former couple’s shared 50/50 custody arrangement, which was established when their divorce was finalized in 2023.
As part of their divorce agreement, Berry agreed to pay Martinez $8,000 per month in child support. She also agreed to pay him ‘4.3% of any income she receives above $2,000,000’.
For now, the temporary restraining order restricts Berry to specified daytime visits with Maceo.
The former couple is scheduled to return to court on October 16, when the dispute over their son’s care and custody is expected to remain a central issue.
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