Halle Berry’s ex-husband Olivier Martinez has been granted temporary primary custody of their 12-year-old son after accusing the Hollywood star of physically attacking the boy.
The French actor has also been granted a temporary restraining order against Berry after alleging she grabbed their son Maceo around the neck and choked him during an altercation at her home on September 26.
Berry has strongly denied the allegations, with her lawyer calling Martinez’s claims “entirely meritless and deliberately misleading”.
The ruling means Berry has temporarily lost the former couple’s 50/50 custody arrangement and will instead be limited to court-ordered visitation two days a week and every other weekend until a hearing on October 16.
TMZ reportedthat Martinez had filed for a temporary restraining order before revealing hours later that a court had granted his request.
The order reportedly requires Berry to remain about 100 metres away from Martinez.
The former couple have also been ordered to participate in confidential mediation over custody.
The former couple have also been ordered to participate in confidential mediation over custody.
Martinez, 60, is seeking sole custody of Maceo amid the latest escalation in the former couple’s long-running custody battle.
According to court documents obtained by both TMZ and People, Martinez alleged the latest incident occurred on September 26 while Maceo was playing a virtual reality game in his bedroom.
He claimed Berry, also 60, became angry with their son over the game before an argument escalated.
Martinez alleged Berry jumped on Maceo and began physically fighting with him before grabbing him around the neck.
He claimed Berry shouted, “Who is dominant now?!” during the alleged altercation.
Berry’s fiancé, musician Van Hunt, was allegedly at the home at the time.
Martinez claimed Maceo later called him asking to be picked up and said his mother had physically attacked him.
In the filing, Martinez alleged the September incident was not the first time Berry had been physically aggressive towards their son.
He claimed there had been other incidents over several years involving alleged physical, verbal and emotional abuse.
Martinez also alleged Berry had previously wrestled with Maceo and forced him to “tap out”, claims she had allegedly dismissed as joking or playing with their son.
“Our paramount concern is the health, welfare of the child,” Martinez’s lawyer told People.
Berry and Martinez married in 2013, the same year they welcomed Maceo, before announcing their split in 2015.
Their divorce was not finalised until 2023, almost eight years after they separated.
In 2024, the former couple agreed to participate in co-parenting therapy in an effort to resolve disputes and improve their ability to raise Maceo together.
A source told People at the time that Berry and Martinez had “very different parenting styles” and that co-parenting had not been easy.
The latest court battle comes as Martinez seeks sole custody of their son and restrictions on Berry’s contact with both him and Maceo.
A further court hearing is scheduled for October 16.
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