Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez’s Custody Drama Drags On! ‘It’s a Horrible Situation’

Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez‘s custody war has exploded, but sources exclusively tell Closer it’s actually been boiling behind the scenes for years.

“Halle and Olivier had a very nasty breakup, as everyone knows, and it just continues to drag on because they still have to coparent their son together,” an insider says.

The Oscar-winning actress and the French actor, both 58, announced in 2015 that they were divorcing after two years of marriage. Though they were declared legally single from one another the following year, the exes continued to negotiate over child custody and support regarding their 10-year-old son, Maceo-Robert.

Their divorce settlement was finalized in August 2023. However, Halle and Olivier made headlines again earlier this month after the Monster’s Ball actress reportedly requested that a court intervene in their coparenting agreement, alleging her ex hasn’t been seeing a coparenting coach as they previously planned. Her request was denied.

“It’s a horrible situation because Maceo is stuck in the middle,” a source tells Closer, adding that Olivier “still seems to have this axe to grind with her and this sense of entitlement.”

The drama going on behind closed doors also seems to be hindering Halle’s current relationship with musician Van Hunt, whom she began dating in 2020.

“Halle is trying to move on with her life and build a blended family with Van, who by all accounts is a wonderful stepfather, and Olivier is fighting or ignoring her at every turn,” says the source. “It’s got Van pretty angry and upset and wishing he could go toe-to-toe with him and show him what’s up. He’s not intimidated or scared by Olivier in any way, but Halle doesn’t want any sort of violence around her, so Van’s holding himself back from confronting the guy.”

It wouldn’t be the first time Halle found herself in the middle of a brawl. According to E! News, her ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubry (with whom she shares 16-year-old daughter Nahla Ariela) and Olivier were involved in a physical altercation in 2012. Both men were treated in the same emergency room after the fight.

Instead of choosing violence, Closer‘s source insists that her current boyfriend, Van, 54, is prioritizing “making sure Halle feels safe and protected.”

The insider adds, “It’s clear to him Olivier is an entitled jerk but he’s holding himself back because that’s best for Halle. He’s willing to put her needs above his ego, which in her view makes him 10 times the man Olivier could ever be.”

After Halle and Olivier finalized their divorce settlement, a source told Closer the actress may be slowing down when it comes to her career since the terms of the settlement give her very little incentive to make bank.

In addition to paying out $8,000 per month in child support for Maceo, Halle must pony up 4.3 percent of her yearly earnings over $2 million.

“Halle fears if she has a lot of success in a year, that money is going to go into Olivier’s pocket and not be used for Maceo’s care,” said an insider. “It’s a big incentive to slow down, or take lower-paying roles.”