Halle Berry's ex-husband, Olivier Martinez, has filed a temporary restraining order against the actress, accusing her of strangling their 12-year-old son, Maceo. Martinez is seeking sole custody of the child, citing allegations of physical and emotional abuse.
Allegations in the filing
In the legal documents, Martinez alleged that Berry jumped on Maceo, placed her hands around his neck, and choked him. He said Maceo phoned him and claimed that Berry had physically assaulted him, also alleging that this was not an isolated incident and had happened before.
Martinez also alleges that Berry threatened to have him deported to France. The documents state that Berry caused him to suffer "emotional and mental distress due to physical abuse of our minor child, Maceo."
Response from Berry's legal team
A legal representative for Berry responded to the claims, saying, "To say this filing is entirely meritless and deliberately misleading would be an understatement." In a statement to Fox News Digital, they added: "There is voluminous evidence, including numerous judicial rulings, that Olivier Martinez repeatedly violated court orders and interfered with necessary therapeutic and educational interventions to the detriment of his and Halle Berry's minor son Maceo — misconduct for which Mr. Martinez has already been legally sanctioned."
The representative continued: "In a way, today's filing is not entirely unexpected from an individual with a well-documented history of erratic, possessive and violent behaviour. Fortunately, Halle is used to this kind of outrageous conduct from Mr. Martinez and, while she is deeply saddened, she will not allow it to deter her from fighting for Maceo's best interests and providing him with the love and support he needs."
Court orders and next steps
Berry has been ordered to stay 100 yards away from Martinez as part of the temporary restraining order. She can see her son only during court-ordered visitations, two days a week and every weekend, until a hearing on October 16, according to TMZ.
The pair, who divorced in 2016, have been ordered to attend confidential mediation about custody arrangements. The filing also says Berry must not be under the influence and must have sobriety testing before, during, and after visits with Maceo.
The documents also claim that Berry angrily walked into Maceo's bedroom, saw him wearing virtual reality goggles, and said he looked "so stupid" while playing a game. After allegedly assaulting him, she is said to have shouted: "Who is dominant now?"
The Mirror has approached Berry's representatives for comment.
