Halle Berry’s Fiance Van Hunt ‘Wants to Be There for Her’ Amid Custody Battle, But It’s Been ‘Tough’

Halle Berry‘s fiancé Van Hunt is doing his best to support her amid her ongoing custody battle with ex-husband Olivier Martinez, a source tells Star.

“He loves her and wants to be there for her,” says the source. “But it’s incredibly tough for him to know what to do or what to say because she’s so on edge all the time.”

On Thursday, October 1, People reported that Martinez, 60, is requesting sole custody of his and Berry’s 13-year-old son Maceo, alleging that the Oscar-winning actress “physically abused” the teenager in late September and that there have been “other instances of abuse” in the past.

“There’s no doubt he’s finding it very challenging to be with her right now,” the source says of Hunt, 56, who was said to be present during the alleged altercation. “This is not an easy road at the moment, that’s for sure.”

Nor is it likely to get any easier.

“Olivier’s legal filing has exposed a very private situation that has been going on for a very long time,” spills the source. “This is not new, but it’s been progressively getting worse to the point where it’s now taken over her life.”

As Star previously reported, Berry has since filed her own court documents, requesting that the former couple’s 50/50 custody be restored and that Martinez be forced to attend their court-mandated therapy sessions.

“She says she feels like Olivier’s goal is to destroy her relationship with her son, so this is hitting her at her core,” the source says. “It’s not as though she can just brush this off and focus on something else and now that Olivier is going after her again in court, it’s become so much worse.”

A rep for Martinez issued a statement in response to Star‘s story.

“Mr. Martinez’s paramount concern is the safety and wellbeing of the minor child Maceo,” it read. “He is not interested in mudslinging or disparaging Ms. Berry through the media.”