The primary objective for the majority of divorced couples is co-parenting calmly; however, it appears that civility has been thrown out the window for Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez, who are at odds.
During the soccer game their son Maceo was playing earlier this month, the couple appeared to be doing everything they could to avoid contacting one another.
"Halle waited in her car while Olivier watched from the sidelines, and at the end, she picked up Maceo and didn't say a word to his dad," one onlooker told New Idea Magazine.
After eight arduous years of marriage, Halle and Olivier, both 58 years old, finally finalized their divorce in August. They initially decided to share joint custody of Maceo, who is 11 years old, but they have subsequently engaged in a contentious legal struggle.
At the beginning of this year, the former parents decided to participate in co-parenting treatment to put their disagreements aside and concentrate on Maceo's well-being. Within a short period, Halle asserted that Olivier had abandoned the sessions, an allegation that the actor, born in France, promptly refuted.
"They have very different parenting styles," a source told PEOPLE Magazine. “Co-parenting hasn't been easy."
Halle submitted the petition for sole custody of Maceo in August of this year. In it, she claimed that Olivier "refuses to co-parent" in a "child-centered way."
The Oscar-winning actress stated in legal filings that she has "fought" to assist her son with his "educational challenges" by attempting to hire a tutor. Still, Olivier has been "oppositional and withheld his consent for years." PEOPLE Magazine was able to access these records.
It is interesting to note that Halle also charged her ex-husband with "prioritising soccer activities over Maceo's educational and psychological well-being."
This is not the first time that Halle has been involved in a custody battle with a previous co-parent.
After they divorced in 2010, she argued with the French model Gabriel Aubry over their daughter Nahla, who is now 16. However, even though those exes reached an "amicable" settlement two years later, Halle and Olivier's fight for custody of Maceo is not showing any signs of abating.
Halle's shame about only seeing her children "half the time" has been articulated openly and honestly.
In 2021, she said: “I have to go sometimes to talk to people to help me figure out, 'How do I make the best decisions for my children? How do I help them deal with this life that we - my dads and I - have given them?' I feel guilty a lot."
Olivier's deteriorating financial situation has become another point of contention as their quarrel continues escalating. According to court documents obtained by In Touch Weekly, Olivier requested that Halle pay him $535,000 to cover his legal bills for the continuing litigation. As a result of his job chances "beginning to dry up" after their breakup in 2015, he stated that he was forced to sell his Rolex watch to pay for a tiny amount of his legal expenses.
Despite amassing an astounding wealth of 134 million dollars as a result of her lengthy career in Hollywood, Halle has declined Olivier's request for financial assistance. The actress has paid a total of $82,000 of his legal bill up to this point, and she continues to make a monthly child support payment of $12,000.
