Halle Berry is facing explosive new allegations from her ex-husband Olivier Martinez, who has asked a California court for a temporary domestic violence restraining order and sole custody of their 12-year-old son, Maceo.
Martinez, 60, claims the Oscar-winning actress physically attacked their son during an incident on Sept. 26, according to court documents obtained by multiple outlets. The allegations have not been proven in court, and Berry, 60, had not publicly responded to the claims as of Thursday evening.
According to Martinez’s filing, the dispute allegedly began while Maceo was using virtual reality goggles.
Martinez claims Berry insulted the boy before the situation escalated into a physical confrontation. He alleges Berry jumped on their son, grabbed him around the neck and choked him while demanding to know who was “dominant.”
Martinez also claims Berry’s fiancé, musician Van Hunt, was present during the alleged encounter.
The court filing includes messages Martinez says Maceo sent him after the incident asking to be picked up.
According to Page Six, the boy allegedly contacted his father urgently and later sent messages asking whether Martinez had arrived and pleading for him to come get him.
Martinez argues the Sept. 26 incident was not isolated.
His petition alleges Berry has engaged in other physical confrontations with Maceo over approximately the last year and a half, including allegedly wrestling the boy to the ground and forcing him to “tap out.”
He also accuses Berry of making inappropriate comments to their son about the former couple’s child-support dispute and his racial identity. Those allegations likewise remain Martinez’s claims and have not been established by a court.
Martinez additionally raised concerns in the filing about Berry’s alleged alcohol use and mental health. Those assertions are allegations by Martinez, not independent medical findings, and no public evidence cited in the reports establishes them.
The French actor is now asking for sole legal and physical custody of Maceo and wants restrictions placed on Berry’s contact with both him and their son.
TMZ reported later Thursday that Berry and Martinez had been ordered to participate in confidential mediation concerning custody.
The latest filing marks another dramatic chapter in what has already been a long and contentious custody dispute.
Berry and Martinez married in 2013 and separated in 2015. Although the divorce process dragged on for years, their final custody and financial agreement was completed in 2023.
Under that settlement, the former couple shared joint legal custody of Maceo. Berry was also ordered to pay Martinez $8,000 per month in child support, along with an additional percentage of income above a specified threshold and certain expenses connected to their son.
The custody fight had already intensified before the latest allegations.
In 2024, Berry sought sole custody herself, arguing in court papers that Martinez was interfering with decisions involving Maceo’s education and behavioral needs. The former couple later participated in court-ordered co-parenting therapy in an attempt to resolve their disputes.
Berry is one of Hollywood’s most recognizable actresses and won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in “Monster’s Ball.” She and Martinez met while working together on the 2010 film “Dark Tide.”
BAD MOMMY! Lock her up and choke her!