A Los Angeles Superior Court judge has granted a temporary restraining order against Halle Berry, following allegations from her ex-husband, Olivier Martinez, that she physically abused their 12-year-old son, Maceo. The protective order was issued on Thursday.
Marina Beck, an attorney representing Berry, responded to Martinez's filing by describing it as “entirely meritless and deliberately misleading.” Beck further accused Martinez of repeatedly violating court orders and interfering with "necessary therapeutic and educational interventions to the detriment" of their son. She also stated that the filing was "not entirely unexpected from an individual with a well-documented history of erratic, possessive and violent behavior," adding that Berry is accustomed to such conduct and will continue to fight for Maceo's best interests.
The court order, reviewed by a news publication, prohibits Berry from contacting Martinez and their son beyond the terms of her August 2023 split-custody agreement. The judge also modified Berry's visitation time, limiting her hours with Maceo to Mondays, Tuesdays, and weekends between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Martinez's request for the domestic violence restraining order focused on an alleged incident on September 26, where he claimed Berry "physically abused our son, Maceo, by jumping on him, putting her hands around his neck, and choking him." His filing also referenced another alleged incident in 2023, stating Berry allegedly told Maceo, then 9, that his father is a "white b— trying to rob a Black woman" due to child support issues. The filing included a declaration of Berry’s alleged history of abuse and screenshots of text messages where Berry reportedly wrote, "I feel terrible about what happened last night."
Martinez requested sole legal and physical custody of Maceo. He also asked that Berry refrain from drinking or partaking in other substances during her visitation and complete sobriety testing before, during, and after visits. The judge denied the sobriety testing requests pending a further hearing on the order scheduled for October 16.
Patrick Baghdaserians, an attorney for Martinez, did not comment on the statement from Berry’s legal team, but emphasized that the welfare and safety of the child remain paramount.
Berry and Martinez married in France in July 2013 and welcomed Maceo in October of that year. Berry filed for divorce in October 2015, and their divorce was finalized after eight years in August 2023. The agreement established joint custody of Maceo, with Berry agreeing to pay Martinez $8,000 per month in child support, along with 4.3% of any income she receives above $2 million. Berry also shares a daughter with ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubry and was previously married to David Justice and Eric Benét. She is currently engaged to musician Van Hunt.
Berry has been a vocal advocate for victims of domestic violence, volunteering at the Jenesse Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to intervention and prevention. She has also spoken publicly about her own experiences with domestic violence during her upbringing, recalling her father’s abusive treatment of her mother at a 2015 gala.
