Halle Berry has denied allegations that she choked her 12-year-old son, Maceo, during a confrontation at her home, saying, “I would never hurt our child.”
Berry made the claim in a court filing responding to her former husband Olivier Martinez’s request to change their custody arrangement.
Martinez had accused Berry of physically abusing Maceo while he was playing a virtual reality game. He claimed she put her hands around their son’s neck and choked him.
Berry strongly denied the allegation.
She said Maceo was wearing a VR headset in his room when she went in to tell him it was time to stop playing. She later sat in the bathroom and began recording him on her phone while he continued playing.
Berry said Maceo noticed she was filming, approached her and took the phone from her hand.
The actress said they then began “playfully roughhousing”, which she described as something they had done before.
Berry said she never put her hands around Maceo’s neck, choked him or restricted his breathing. She also denied saying, “Who is dominant now?” as Martinez alleged.
She acknowledged that the physical exchange became more intense after Maceo pushed her.
Berry said her partner, musician Van Hunt, came upstairs as the confrontation became heated. She said she tried to remove Maceo’s VR headset before he shoved her again, prompting Hunt to step between them.
Maceo later threatened to leave and return to Martinez’s home. Berry said she contacted Martinez and asked him to enforce appropriate boundaries with their son.
She said Maceo left for Martinez’s home without any marks on his body or neck.
Berry also challenged Martinez’s position on their son’s behavioural and neurodivergent issues.
She said Maceo requires professional help and accused Martinez of resisting efforts to obtain appropriate treatment. Berry said previous legal disputes had involved what she described as “critical interventions” for their son.
Martinez has since filed new documents disputing Berry’s account. He accused her of deliberately misrepresenting his position on Maceo’s mental health treatment.
Berry also argued against Martinez receiving primary custody, saying he was not capable of providing what she called “child-centered guidance”.
She further described herself as a domestic violence victim and advocate but did not identify the person she said had abused her.
Berry also denied an allegation that she made racially charged comments about Martinez to Maceo.
Her daughter, Nahla Aubry, submitted a declaration saying she had never heard Berry make such comments and that the allegations were inconsistent with the mother she knows.
The custody dispute began after Martinez sought a temporary restraining order and changes to their existing custody arrangement. A Los Angeles judge granted a temporary restraining order against Berry on October 1, while allowing her to see Maceo through court-ordered visitation.
The court has since clarified that Berry retains final decision-making authority over Maceo’s mental health and education.
A further hearing in the custody dispute is scheduled for October 16.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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