Halle Berry Denies Abuse Claims as Custody Fight Over Son Maceo Escalates

Halle Berry has rejected allegations made by her former husband Olivier Martinez in an increasingly acrimonious dispute over their son, according to the account of court filings. Martinez is seeking sole legal and physical custody of 13-year-old Maceo and has also pursued an emergency restraining order against Berry. In documents cited in the report, Martinez alleged that Berry physically abused their son during an incident on September 26, claiming she jumped on him and choked him. He said Maceo called him in distress and asked to be collected, and alleged there had been other incidents over several years. Those are allegations, not findings by a court. Berry has described the claims as “absolutely false” and said she has never physically or emotionally abused Maceo. Her account, as presented in the legal papers, characterises the incident as playful roughhousing that often took place between mother and son. She said Maceo became unexpectedly upset after she told him to stop playing a video game, and that he shoved her before her fiancé, Van Hunt, intervened. Berry also argued that her son needs structure and continued contact with his mother, rather than separation prompted by what she called manufactured claims. The report says Martinez has obtained temporary full custody and a temporary restraining order, while Berry’s visitation has been restricted pending further proceedings. A hearing was scheduled for October 16, when a judge was expected to consider whether those temporary measures should stay in place or whether the former couple should return to their previous shared-custody arrangement. Berry and Martinez separated in 2015 and finalised their divorce in 2023. The competing accounts have made the ongoing custody dispute especially serious, but the claims remain contested and the court has yet to reach a final decision.