Halle Berry says she’s a domestic violence victim and ‘would never hurt’ her child

The Oscar winner is disputing allegations made by ex-husband Olivier Martinez as the former couple’s custody dispute continues.

Halle Berry is pushing back against allegations that she physically abused her 13-year-old son, saying she is a victim and advocate of domestic violence and would never intentionally hurt her child.

The Oscar-winning actress made the claims in a lengthy court filing responding to her ex-husband Olivier Martinez’s petition seeking changes to their custody arrangement. TMZ reported that Berry denied Martinez’s allegations and described herself as a domestic violence victim and advocate, not a perpetrator.

Martinez has accused Berry of physically attacking their son, Maceo, during a Sept. 26 confrontation at Berry’s home. He alleged that Berry became upset while Maceo was playing a virtual reality game and ultimately put the teenager in a headlock and choked him.

Berry strongly disputes that account.

According to TMZ, Berry said she went into Maceo’s room and told him to stop playing the game before going into the bathroom and recording him with her phone. She said Maceo noticed the recording, came into the bathroom and grabbed her phone, after which the two began “playfully roughhousing.”

Berry denied putting her hands around her son’s neck or restricting his breathing. She also disputed other details of Martinez’s account of the confrontation.

“I would never hurt our child,” Berry said in her response.

Berry said her fiancé, musician Van Hunt, ultimately intervened as the interaction became more heated. She also said Maceo subsequently returned to Martinez’s home and that she did not observe marks on her son when he left.

The custody dispute has already resulted in a temporary restraining order against Berry. A Los Angeles County judge has temporarily limited her visitation with Maceo while the legal dispute continues. The order does not determine whether Martinez’s allegations are true.

Martinez has continued to dispute Berry’s characterization of their custody disagreements. In a separate filing cited by TMZ, he also rejected Berry’s claims that he has resisted efforts to obtain professional help for Maceo, saying she has “deliberately” misrepresented his behavior regarding their son’s mental health treatment.

The former couple’s custody battle remains ongoing, with both sides presenting sharply different accounts of their relationship with their son.