Halle Berry Accused of Child Abuse by Ex Olivier Martínez

Halle Berry is facing allegations from her ex-husband, Olivier Martínez. He claimed the actress physically abused their 12-year-old son, Maceo. Martínez filed for a temporary domestic violence restraining order and requested sole legal and physical custody of their son in Los Angeles County Superior Court on October 1, 2026.

The filing is based on an alleged September 26 incident at Berry’s home. According to court documents, Martinez claims Berry was with Maceo and her fiancé, musician Van Hunt, when the confrontation began. Maceo was reportedly playing a virtual reality game in his bedroom when Berry entered the room and became upset about him playing the game.

Martinez alleged that Berry told their son he looked “so stupid” and called him “such an idiot” for playing the VR game. He claimed the argument then escalated into a physical confrontation.

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According to Martinez’s account, Berry jumped on Maceo, grabbed him around the neck and choked him. He also alleged that she shouted, “Who is dominant now?!” during the confrontation. Martinez further claimed that Maceo called him while the alleged incident was taking place and told him that Berry had physically attacked him and placed him in a chokehold. Martinez also claims Van Hunt was present at the home during the incident.

The allegations are part of a broader account Martinez presented to the court. He claimed there had been other incidents involving physical and verbal abuse over several years. Martinez alleged that Berry struck Maceo in the face about five years ago.

He also cited an incident from about 10 years ago in which he claims Berry had a violent outburst and threw a plate with a knife and fork on top of it. Martinez further referred to an alleged 2023 incident involving the couple’s dispute over child support. He claimed Berry told Maceo, who was nine at the time, that his father was a “white bitch robbing money from a black woman.”

Martinez’s filing also describes concerns about Berry’s alleged behaviour and its effect on their son. His attorney, Patrick Baghdaserians, said Martinez’s primary concern was Maceo’s welfare and that he wanted the boy to have space following the alleged September incident. Martinez is seeking sole legal and physical custody.

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The latest filing comes after years of disagreements over the former couple’s parenting arrangements. Berry and Martinez finalized their divorce in August 2023 after an eight-year process. Their divorce agreement provided for joint legal and physical custody of Maceo. Berry was also ordered to pay Martinez $8,000 a month in child support, along with additional financial obligations connected to their son’s education and other expenses. 

The former couple later entered co-parenting therapy to address disagreements over raising Maceo. The arrangement began in 2024 and included individual meetings followed by six joint sessions with a parenting coach. Van Hunt was also permitted to participate in the sessions. Berry later sought court intervention over disagreements surrounding the co-parenting arrangement. 

Photo: Getty Images

The court documents in the current dispute also include text messages Martinez says were exchanged with Berry after the September 26 incident. The messages provide more context to the events that followed the alleged confrontation.

In one message, Berry allegedly wrote to Martinez, “I feel terrible about what happened last night as I know he does as well.” The exchange did not simply end with that statement.  Berry also rais concerns about Maceo’s behaviour, including what she described as his disrespect toward her. 

Berry has denied the allegations through her attorney, Marina Beck. In a statement, Beck described Martinez’s filing as “entirely meritless and deliberately misleading.” She also accused Martinez of repeatedly violating court orders and interfering with therapeutic and educational interventions involving Maceo.

“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,” 

A Los Angeles County judge granted Martinez a temporary restraining order on October 1. Under the order, Berry must stay 100 yards away from Martinez, while her contact with Maceo has been temporarily restricted. She is permitted daytime visits on Mondays and Tuesdays and every other weekend, between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. 

The judge did not grant every request made by Martinez. His request to completely prevent Berry from seeing Maceo was not granted. The court also declined to impose the requested sobriety testing at this stage because of insufficient information. 

The court has also ordered Berry and Martinez to participate in confidential mediation over custody. The mediation is intended to address the custody dispute while the wider legal proceedings continue. 

The case is not yet concluded. The allegations remain disputed, and the court has scheduled a hearing for October 16, when the parties will state their positions.