This article mentions allegations of child abuse.
On Thursday, a Los Angeles County judge granted French actor Olivier Martinez’s request for a temporary restraining order against his ex-wife, Halle Berry, after he accused her of physically abusing their 12-year-old son, Maceo.
For reference, Halle and Olivier married in 2013, but filed for a divorce in October 2015. Their divorce was finalized in 2023, and, per People, the former couple agreed on joint legal custody of their son.
The same publication, as well as multiple other outlets, have now reported that Olivier filed the temporary restraining order petition on Oct. 1, alleging that Halle had caused him “emotional and mental distress due to physical abuse of our minor child, Maceo.” A representative for Halle has branded Olivier’s claims as “entirely meritless and deliberately misleading.”
In the legal filing, which has been obtained by People, Olivier alleges that on Sept. 26, he received a call from Maceo asking to be picked up after Halle had “physically attacked him.” In the petition, Olivier claims that the star “physically abused our son, Maceo, by jumping on him, putting her hands around his neck, and choking him.” The documents allege that Halle “grabbed Maceo by the neck and started choking him while shouting, ‘Who is dominant now?! Who is dominant?’” and that Halle’s fiancé, Van Hunt, was present and “fair” in defending Maceo during the alleged incident.
Olivier also claims that this was not the only time that Halle had engaged in “instances of abuse over the course of the last few years,” and he has accused her of further “physical attacks” against their son, and “verbal and emotional abuse” toward him.
People have also obtained alleged text messages between Halle and Olivier, one of which sees Halle tell her ex that their son is “disrespectful” toward her. Another message from Halle to Olivier allegedly reads: “He wants to fight his mother?? What kind of kid are we raising. As a father ask him what kind of kid is he. I’m his mother?”
One more adds: “I’m his mother and this is wrong! He had no respect for his mother and this should not be ok for you as his father!!!” And one sent the day after the alleged incident reportedly reads: “Olivier, I’ve reached out to Maceo and asked to speak with him. I know you very much think he makes his own decisions but I would really appreciate it if you would encourage him to speak with me today … I feel terrible about what happened last night as I know he does as well.”
Olivier has claimed that Halle “downplayed the incidents, claiming she was joking or just playing with him.”
As mentioned, Olivier’s temporary restraining order request was granted, in part, on Thursday. While the judge has modified Halle’s visitation with Maceo until a hearing later this month that will determine if the order should be made permanent, they reportedly denied a request for Halle’s sobriety to be monitored due to “insufficient evidence.” Halle and Olivier are also required to attend a mediation session on Oct. 14.
Following the news, People have reported that Halle and Olivier agreed to “co-parenting therapy” in May 2024, when Maceo was 9, in a bid to “resolve disputes and conflicts between them in an effort to successfully co-parent.” In August of that same year, Halle claimed that Olivier had “repeatedly” violated the “agreements and our orders with careless regard” as she asked a court to intervene. She alleged that Olivier’s conduct “harms” their son, as well as their “already strained relationship.”
In a statement to BuzzFeed, Halle’s attorney, Marina Beck, said: “To say this filing is entirely meritless and deliberately misleading would be an understatement. 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. In a way, today’s filing is not entirely unexpected from an individual with a well-documented history of erratic, possessive and violent behavior. 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.”
Meanwhile, Olivier’s lawyer, Patrick Baghdaserians, has said that Olivier’s “paramount concern is the health, welfare and the safety of the minor child, hence the action that he took in court by filing the request for domestic violence restraining order. The second concern would be for mother to get the appropriate help that she needs to address her issues so she can better herself, which would in turn help the minor child moving forward.”
BuzzFeed has contacted Halle’s rep for further comment.
If you are concerned that a child is experiencing or may be in danger of abuse, you can call or text the National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453(4.A.CHILD); service can be provided in over 140 languages.
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