Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez custody war for their son: Actress’ alleged texts to ex-husband revealed; ‘I feel terrible about what happened’

The latest details in Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez's custody dispute come from a more personal source than a courtroom argument: their text messages. Messages between the former couple were included in the domestic violence restraining order filing Martinez made in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday, October 1, 2026. They show Berry and Martinez arguing about their 12-year-old son, Maceo, both before and after an alleged confrontation at Berry's home on Saturday, September 26.Martinez, 60, has accused Halle Berry, also 60, of physically abusing their son and is asking for sole custody. The allegations have not been proven in court, and Berry's attorney has strongly rejected his account.What Halle Berry allegedly texted Olivier MartinezAccording to the messages included in Olivier Martinez's court filing, the disagreement began after Maceo asked to be picked up early from Halle Berry's home.Martinez apparently contacted Berry about the change. Her response was not simply about the pickup. She questioned why her son wanted to leave and wrote, “No, I’m not ok with it. He wants to fight his mother?? What kind of kid are we raising?”She followed that with another message asking Martinez to question Maceo about his behaviour. “I’m his mother?” Berry allegedly wrote.The conversation then turned toward their relationship with their son. Olivier Martinez said he did not understand what was happening but questioned whether Halle Berry would keep Maceo at her home if he did not want to stay. Berry responded that she felt Maceo was treating her as though she had no authority.“He is disrespectful to me and feels I have no say on anything,” she allegedly wrote. “I’m just money bags! This is wrong and wrong!” It is an unusually revealing exchange because it captures the frustration between two parents in the middle of a much bigger dispute, rather than simply presenting the allegations made in court.Halle Berry says she felt terribleAnother message included in the filing was sent by Halle Berry on Sunday, September 27, 2026. She told Martinez that she had reached out to Maceo and wanted to speak with him. She also asked Martinez to encourage their son to talk to her.“I feel terrible about what happened last night as I know he does as well,” she allegedly wrote. The message came after Olivier Martinez's account of the September 26 incident.In his court filing, Martinez alleged that Berry had been arguing with Maceo while he was playing a virtual-reality game. He claimed the confrontation became physical and alleged that Berry put her hands around their son's neck and choked him.Olivier also claimed Maceo called him in a panic and asked him to pick him up. Text messages between Maceo and his father were included in the filing, with the boy allegedly writing, “Are u here please come.” These details are allegations contained in Martinez's filing, not established findings of the court.Halle Berry’s lawyer strongly denies Martinez’s claimsHalle Berry's response has been equally forceful. Her attorney, Marina Beck, described Olivier Martinez's filing as “entirely meritless and deliberately misleading” in a statement provided to PEOPLE. Beck also alleged that Martinez had previously violated court orders and interfered with therapeutic and educational interventions involving Maceo.Martinez's attorney, Patrick Baghdaserians, presented the opposite position. He said his client's “paramount concern is the health, welfare and the safety of the minor child” and described Martinez as a parent trying to protect his son.Neither side has agreed on what the September 26 incident means or how it should be understood.A custody dispute that has been going on for yearsThe latest filing did not come out of nowhere. Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez married on July 13, 2013, and welcomed Maceo later that year. They announced their split in 2015 and finalised their divorce in 2023.Their divorce agreement gave them joint legal custody. Berry was also ordered to pay Martinez $8,000 a month in child support, along with additional support tied to income above $2 million.The former couple had also previously turned to co-parenting therapy. Earlier court disputes centred on disagreements over parenting decisions and the way they communicated about Maceo.That history makes the new text messages more revealing. They are not simply about one pickup or one argument. They show two parents who were already struggling to agree about their son's behaviour, boundaries and where he should be.What happens next for Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez?A Los Angeles County judge granted Olivier Martinez a temporary restraining order on October 1, 2026. The order did not completely prevent Halle Berry from contacting Maceo, but it temporarily restricted her visitation while the case moves forward. A further hearing is scheduled for October 16, 2026. The court has also ordered the former couple to participate in mediation.Get the latest Bollywood & Entertainment News, and more. Download the TOI app.Give your child the gift of confidence! Claim your exclusive TOI Masterclass spot today!