Make Page Six a Preferred Source Halle Berry’s bitter custody battle with ex-husband Olivier Martinez could have a financial motive.
“Olivier keeps going back to court asking Halle for more money. It’s been going on for years,” a source close to Berry told Page Six exclusively.
“He’s been fighting for more custody of Maceo, which could mean Halle has to pay him even more child support. The feeling is that this is more about money than anything else.”
But Martinez’s attorney, Patrick Baghdaserians, is insisting that his client’s main concern is their son’s well-being.
“My client was awarded custody per Family Code Section 6340,” Baghdaserians shared in a statement with Page Six. “His motivation has always been the health, safety and welfare of the minor child.”
A representative for Berry did not immediately respond to Page Six’s requests for comment.
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Martinez, 60, asked a Los Angeles judge for more child support from Berry, also 60, according to court documents filed Nov. 9 and obtained by Page Six.
In the filing, Martinez argued that the former couple’s custody arrangement had dramatically changed since they finalized their divorce in 2023.
Under their original agreement, Berry was ordered to pay Martinez $8,000 per month in child support, plus 4.3 percent of any income she earned above $2 million.
However, Martinez claimed he now had Maceo, 13, approximately 82 percent of the time, compared to the previous arrangement in which the former couple shared equal custody.
The French actor’s attorneys argued that the existing payments no longer reflected the amount of time their son spent in his care.
Martinez also disclosed that he earned an average of just $776.34 per month in acting residuals over the previous year.
Meanwhile, he listed $17,555.99 in estimated monthly expenses and proposed needs, including $3,500 for entertainment, gifts and vacations, $1,000 for clothing and another $1,000 for savings and investments.
He also claimed to owe his attorneys more than $176,000 in legal fees.
According to the documents, Martinez had not yet specified how much additional child support he wanted because he was waiting for updated financial information from Berry.
His attorneys argued that Maceo was entitled to enjoy a standard of living comparable to his mother’s and that the actress should pay child support based on her earnings and the new custody arrangement.
The latest financial dispute followed months of bitter accusations between the former couple.
In October, Martinez accused Berry of choking their son during an alleged altercation at her home, claiming in court documents that Maceo desperately contacted his father to pick him up.
Martinez initially obtained a temporary restraining order against Berry, but a Los Angeles judge dissolved it on Oct. 29 and denied his request for a permanent order.
However, Martinez retained primary physical custody of Maceo under a modified custody arrangement, while Berry was granted daytime visits without overnight stays.
The former couple continued to share legal custody.
As Page Six previously reported, Berry has been leaning on her fiancé, Van Hunt, throughout the bitter legal battle.
“Van has really been Halle’s rock through all of this,” a source exclusively told Page Six. “He’s been by her side throughout the whole custody battle and restraining order situation.”
The musician also testified in support of the actress during the court proceedings last month.
Berry and Martinez married in 2013 and separated in 2015. Their divorce was finalized in August 2023.
Martinez has previously maintained that his custody efforts were motivated by concerns for Maceo’s welfare.
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