Halle Berry is slamming her “erratic, possessive, and violent” ex-husband in response to his claims that she abused their 12-year-old son.
Berry’s attorney, Marina Beck, told the Daily Beast, “To say this filing is entirely meritless and deliberately misleading would be an understatement.”
The Oscar winner, 60, was married to French actor Olivier Martinez, 60—with whom she has one 12-year-old son, Maceo—from 2013 to 2015. Martinez claimed in a new filing on Thursday that Berry jumped on their son, put her hands around his neck, and choked him on Sept. 26, while her fiancé Van Hunt was present, according to Page Six.
He requested a temporary restraining order, which was granted, according to People, and is seeking full custody. Berry’s visits with Maceo will be temporarily restricted until Oct. 16, the site also reported. Martinez’s request to have her sobriety monitored was denied by the judge, who cited “insufficient information.”
“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,” Berry’s attorney added. “In a way, today’s filing is not entirely unexpected from an individual with a well-documented history of erratic, possessive, and violent behavior.”
Martinez claimed in his filing that Berry told their son he looks “so stupid” and is “such an idiot” while he played a game with his virtual reality goggles. He alleged, “She grabbed Maceo by the neck and started choking him while shouting, ‘Who is dominant now?! Who is dominant?!’”
According to TMZ, Berry expressed remorse the following day via text message. “I feel terrible about what happened last night as I know he does as well,” she allegedly wrote to Martinez after Maceo wrote to his dad, “Are u here please come,” following the incident.
Berry’s lawyer said the allegations are part of a pattern of behavior from Martinez.
“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,” Beck also said in the statement.
Martinez is also alleging a pattern of behavior, citing past incidents in his filing, according to TMZ. Martinez claims Berry struck him in the face five years ago and had a violent outburst during which she threw a plate with a knife and fork on top, 10 years ago. The former couple finalized their divorce in 2023, eight years after splitting.
Berry filed for sole custody of Maceo in 2024, alleging that Martinez’s “turbulent and detrimental behavior” caused then 10-year-old Maceo to have “serious behavior and learning problems.”
