Halle Berry sued by ex-husband for alleged child abuse of 12-year-old son

Hollywood actor Halle Berry, 60, known for her role in "Catwoman," has been sued by her ex-husband, actor Olivier Martinez, on allegations of physically abusing their 12-year-old son, including choking him.

According to US outlets TMZ and Page Six on Thursday (local time), Martinez, 60, recently filed court documents seeking a temporary restraining order against Berry on behalf of himself and their son, as well as sole custody of the boy.

Martinez said the lawsuit was intended to give their son time to process the incident and was not meant to permanently sever Berry's relationship with him.

The court has since ordered both parties to participate in a private mediation session to resolve the custody dispute.

According to documents Martinez filed with the court, the incident occurred Sunday. At the time, their son Maceo was in his bedroom playing a game with a virtual reality headset when Berry allegedly began hurling insults at him, calling him "stupid-looking" and "an idiot," Martinez said.

The argument escalated into a physical altercation, with Berry lunging at her son. She then grabbed him by the throat and shouted, "Who's in charge now?" Martinez said.

The son reportedly contacted his father immediately after the incident and asked him to come pick him up.

In his court filing, Martinez said his son did not want to return to Berry's home following the incident.

He also said Berry had repeatedly subjected their son to physical and verbal abuse over the past several years, including multiple physical altercations in the past year and a half.

The court granted Martinez's request and issued a temporary restraining order.

Berry is barred from coming within 100 yards (about 91 meters) of Martinez, and her time with Maceo has been limited to two weekdays per week and daytime hours on alternating weekends, as set by the court.

Berry's camp has flatly denied the abuse allegations Martinez raised.

Her attorney rebuffed the claims through Page Six, saying Martinez's allegations were "completely unfounded and deliberately misleading."

Berry and Martinez married in 2013 and had their son Maceo before separating in 2015. The two finalized their divorce settlement in 2023 after a lengthy legal process but have continued to clash over custody of their son.