Halle Berry Counters Ex Olivier Martinez With 6-Figure Demand

The movie star demanded her estranged ex-husband compensate her for torturing her with his poor conduct during the custody hearing.

Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez have been embroiled in a bitter custody battle since finalizing their equally messy divorce in 2023.

The actress motioned the court to order her ex-husband to pay her $455,509.79 in monetary sanctions for his unpleasant behavior during their case.

Berry’s lawyer stated that the sanction was necessary for “Olivier’s litigation conduct to date and to incentivize him to cooperate and reduce the costs of litigation in the future.”

Her attorney referred to Martinez as willingly unemployed and someone who “acted in bad faith and engaged in actions that have unnecessarily escalated litigation.” 

Per In Touch,  Berry noted that she had already paid $80,000 for  Martinez’s legal fees, adding that he has acted “irrational and unreasonable” in the past four years.

The actress’s lawyer explained that Martinez’s behavior has interfered with their son’s growth. Berry also accused the actor of failing to utilize the expert’s advice regarding their son’s survival.

Her lawyer claimed the French actor has admitted to living off the child support he receives from his ex-wife.

“While it is true that Halle was the one to initiate mediation and this post-judgment proceeding, none of it would have been necessary if Olivier had simply come to the table as a parent and addressed time-sensitive and necessary issues for Maceo,” the attorney added.

He also explained that It would have cost Martinez nothing to comply with his own agreements, follow the recommendations of Maceo’s providers, or co-parent with Berry for the sake of their child.

The actress was ordered by the court to pay Martinez $8000 monthly and share custody of their 10-year-old son as part of their divorce agreement.

The agreement also ordered the estranged couple to attend co-parenting therapy sessions to raise their son under healthy conditions.

However, Berry revealed months later that the actor was blowing off schedule and conspiring with a former employee to influence their son’s therapist for his ulterior motives.

She later filed for sole custody of their child with claims that Martinez’s behavior made her assume the position of the sole decision maker when it came to their son’s health and education.

Martinez opposed Berry’s motion for child support but declared that he was financially handicapped to continue the legal battle. To that effect, The Blast shared that the actor petitioned the court to order his estranged wife to reimburse his expenses totaling $363,270.59.

The breakdown included $320,000 for attorney fees, $25,000 for a forensic accountant, $7,500 for a custody expert, and $10,000 for transcript costs. Martinez stressed that the money was for the legal battle.

The French actor explained that $150,000 of the funds if granted, would be used to cover the services a legal firm provided to him from March to September. He also wanted Berry to return the $55,000 he paid the firm.

The celebrity accused his ex-wife of forcing him to incur legal expenses even though she was aware he did not have money to fund it.

“To engage in the same pattern of insisting on attorney involvement at almost every turn, only now she is refusing to engage in any settlement or mediation efforts.” Martinez stated.

His lawyer then demanded attorney fees from Berry, which the actress denied. They accused her of blocking the actor’s access to justice.

“She has fought [Olivier] aggressively, choosing the most expensive manner of dispute resolution — through the Court system, refusing continuances and foregoing hearings that she admittedly believes would waste resources,” noted the attorney.