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Halle Berry's Ex Olivier Martinez Accuses Her of Choking Their Son | E! News
Martinez, 60, filed a petition for a temporary restraining order on Oct. 1, alleging that Berry attacked and choked their son during an incident at her home on Sept. 26. He is seeking sole legal and physical custody, replacing the couple’s current 50-50 custody arrangement.
The allegations have not been proven in court.
What Martinez Says Happened
According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE and E! News, Martinez said he received a frantic call from Maceo asking him to come pick him up.
Martinez alleges that his son told him Berry had physically attacked and choked him. He said he could hear his son panicking while Berry was yelling in the background.
After Martinez arrived, he said Maceo later told him that he had been playing a virtual reality game when Berry entered the room and began pushing him. Martinez alleges that the confrontation escalated, with Berry grabbing the boy around the neck and choking him.
Martinez also claimed the incident was not isolated and alleged that Berry had previously put their son in chokeholds.
Text Messages Included in the Filing
The petition includes text messages that Martinez says were exchanged with Berry following the alleged confrontation.
According to the filing, Berry allegedly wrote the next morning that she felt terrible about what happened. Martinez says he then raised concerns about their son's relationship with her and whether he should remain at her home.
The messages are part of Martinez's evidence supporting his request for court intervention. Their inclusion in the filing does not independently establish the allegations.
Halle Berry Denies the Allegations
Berry's attorney, Marina Beck, strongly rejected Martinez's claims, calling the filing “entirely meritless and deliberately misleading.”
In a statement reported by E! News, Beck accused Martinez of having a history of erratic and violent behavior and said Berry remains focused on protecting her son and acting in his best interests.
Berry and Martinez have previously been involved in contentious custody and co-parenting disputes following their divorce.
Judge Grants Temporary Restraining Order
The legal dispute escalated further on Oct. 1, when a Los Angeles County judge granted Martinez's request for a temporary restraining order.
The order temporarily restricts Berry's contact with Martinez and changes her visitation arrangement with Maceo while the court considers the allegations. She was not completely barred from seeing her son, but her visits are currently limited under court-ordered conditions.
The court has scheduled another hearing for Oct. 16, when the temporary orders and broader custody issues can be considered further. The former couple has also been ordered to participate in confidential mediation.
A Complicated Custody History
Berry and Martinez married in 2013 and welcomed Maceo later that year. They separated in 2015, and their divorce was finalized in 2023 after years of legal disputes.
Under their existing custody arrangement, the former couple shared custody of their son.
Now, Martinez is asking the court to give him sole custody, while Berry's legal team maintains that his latest allegations are misleading and without merit.
What Happens Next
For now, the allegations remain part of an ongoing family-court dispute rather than established findings of abuse.
The Oct. 16 hearing could provide the next major development as the court considers whether the temporary restrictions should remain in place and how custody should proceed.
Both sides are presenting sharply different accounts of what happened between Berry and her son. The court will ultimately determine what weight to give the competing claims and evidence.
Source: E! News
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