Halle Berry reportedly had strands of her 6-year-old daughter's hair forensically tested to ''prove'' that her former partner, Gabriel Aubrey, had been lightening their child's hair.

The 'Extant' actress - who is in the middle of a bitter divorce from Gabriel Aubry - has accused her former partner of bleaching their child's hair. According to gossip website TMZ, Halle had strands of hair from 6-year-old Nahla's hairbrush sent off to Microtrace, a forensic consulting laboratory.

Papers submitted to the court by the 48-year-old actress reportedly state that the company concluded that the hair had ''extensive damage ... [which is] likely the cumulative effect of repeated exposure to numerous gentle bleaching treatments''.

Gabriel denied that he was straightening and lightening her hair using chemicals and defended the lighter colour, insisting it was just from spending time in the sun. The judge is believed to have ruled that neither of Nahla's parents were allowed to change her hair.

Meanwhile, a recent report alleges that Halle wants to have her child support payments cut by 80 per cent. A court previously ordered her to pay $16,000 a month, a figure which she wants reducing to just $3,000, because she claims Gabriel is just living entirely off the money he receives from her.

Documents submitted to the court by Halle state that the model is ''perfectly capable'' of getting a job and that the reduced payments will still make sure Nahla can live comfortably, if supplemented by his own wages.