Halle Berry Denies Choking Allegations in Ongoing Custody Battle With Olivier Martinez
Halle Berry has denied allegations that she choked her 13-year-old son Maceo, calling her ex-husband Olivier Martinez's claims misleading as their high-profile custody battle continues in court.
The legal dispute between Halle Berry and her ex-husband Olivier Martinez continues to make headlines, and now it is the actress's turn to respond to the severe allegations. In new court documents filed, as reported by TMZ, she denies choking their 13-year-old son Maceo and claims Martinez's description of the event differs entirely from what actually occurred.
The Incident and Differing Versions
Last weekend, Martinez claimed that Berry attacked their son during an argument at her home after she entered his room while he was playing a virtual reality game. He alleged that the confrontation turned physical, that she grabbed Maceo by the neck and choked him, and requested sole custody of their son. The court issued a temporary restraining order against the actress and restricted her visitation time with Maceo, but Berry insists that is not what happened.
According to Berry, she entered the room to tell her son it was time to stop playing. When that did not work, she sat down in the bathroom attached to his room and began filming him on her phone. He noticed, approached her, took the device, and the two began playfully wrestling—something she says happens often between them. The actress submitted still photos of Maceo wearing the VR headset and claims to have a time-stamped video that backs her version of events.
"I would never harm my child," Berry stated in the court documents, adding that she herself has been a victim of domestic violence in the past.
Custody Battle and Future Proceedings
Berry strongly denies putting her hands on her son's neck, choking him, or preventing him from breathing. She also denies saying the phrase attributed to her in Martinez's documents: "Who's in control now?
Her current partner, musician Van Hunt, went upstairs when the confrontation escalated, and according to Berry, when she tried to remove Maceo's headphones, the boy pushed her. At that point, her partner stepped in between them, and Maceo threatened to leave and return to his father. Berry's attorney has called Martinez's claims baseless and intentionally misleading, and Berry is now asking the court to restore their joint custody arrangement.
As the temporary restraining order remains in effect pending further review, the next court hearing in the case is scheduled for October 16.
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