Halle Berry Instagram Post Sparks Heated Court Clash as Judge Denies Bid to Reopen Evidence
A post that appeared on Halle Berry’s Instagram account led to a heated exchange in a Los Angeles courtroom on Tuesday, as Olivier Martinez’s lawyer asked a judge to reopen evidence and question Berry about the message, Page Six and TMZ reported. The judge denied the request, and the courtroom was then cleared for closing arguments.
What happened in court
Patrick Baghdaserians, who represents Martinez, asked Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Shelley Kaufman to reopen evidence so he could question Berry, 60, about the message that went live on her social media account on Monday, Page Six reported. The request came amid the former couple’s legal fight over their 13-year-old son, Maceo. Baghdaserians argued that the post violated a temporary restraining order and said it was “disturbing my client’s peace, disturbing my client’s calm.”
Berry’s lawyer, Marina Beck, strongly opposed the request, calling it a “last-minute grasp at straws, nothing more than a witch hunt,” according to Page Six. Beck argued that the request was deliberately made in open court in front of reporters, saying: “They just intended to re-open evidence and continue their false narrative.” Baghdaserians pushed back, saying he did not care about the media presence and noting that the post had appeared on Berry’s own Instagram page immediately after evidence closed. Judge Kaufman denied the motion to reopen evidence, Page Six reported.
The post at the centre of the dispute
The message that triggered the dispute read: “If kids disrespect their moms, the root cause often traces back to the relationship with the father.” It has since been deleted, Page Six reported. The post appeared to take aim at Martinez, Page Six reported, although the message itself did not name him.
Sources close to Berry told TMZ that she did not make the post and that an investigation was under way into how it appeared on her account, TMZ reported. TMZ described the post as seemingly the result of her account being hacked, while reporting only the account of the sources close to Berry. No court finding about how the post appeared has been reported.
The wider case
The dispute comes amid a custody battle between Berry and Martinez over Maceo, Page Six reported. Martinez has accused Berry of physically abusing their son, an allegation Berry has denied. Berry’s legal team has previously described Martinez’s claims as “entirely meritless and deliberately misleading,” Page Six reported. Martinez was temporarily granted primary custody in September and is seeking a domestic violence restraining order and sole custody, according to Page Six.
Berry arrived at court on Tuesday wearing a green trench coat and sunglasses, Page Six reported. The judge’s ruling leaves the evidence as it stood, and the hearing moves to its closing stages.
Sources: Page Six, 27 October 2026; TMZ, 27 October 2026.