Olivier Martinez, Halle Berry's ex-partner, has accused the Oscar-winning actress of attacking and choking their 12-year-old son, Maceo. The French actor was granted a temporary restraining order against Berry following the alleged incident last Saturday, according to TMZ.
Allegations and Court Documents
Martinez accused Berry of child abuse after she allegedly put Maceo in a chokehold in his bedroom. He claimed there have been previous incidents of abuse 'over the course of the last few years.' Court documents detail the Monster's Ball star allegedly 'jumping on him, putting her hands around his neck and choking him.'
The alleged incident occurred while Maceo was playing a VR game, with Berry reportedly telling him he looked 'so stupid' and an 'idiot' for playing the game before the situation escalated. Martinez also accused Berry of telling their son she would have him deported to France.
Text Messages and Restraining Order
Text messages exchanged between the pair after the alleged incident, included in court documents, show Berry accusing Maceo of wanting to 'fight his mother' and being 'disrespectful to me and feels I have no say on anything thing.' In a later message to Martinez on Sunday, Berry allegedly wrote she had reached out to their son and asked his father to encourage him to speak with her. 'I feel terrible about what happened last night as I know he does as well,' the text said.
Martinez was subsequently granted the temporary restraining order, reportedly requiring Berry to stay 100 yards away from her ex-husband. She is allowed to visit Maceo two days a week and every other weekend, TMZ reports.
Responses from Attorneys
In a statement to People, Berry's lawyer Marina Beck said: 'To say this filing is entirely meritless and deliberately misleading would be an understatement. 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.'
Patrick Baghdaserians, Martinez's attorney, said the actor's 'paramount concern is the health, welfare and the safety of the minor child, hence the action that he took in court by filing the request for domestic violence restraining order.' He added: 'The second concern would be for mother to get the appropriate help that she needs to address her issues so she can better herself, which would in turn help the minor child moving forward.'
Metro has approached the representatives for Berry and Martinez. Berry and Martinez met while filming the movie Dark Tide in 2010 and married in 2013 in France. They filed for a divorce in 2015, around two years after Maceo was born.
