‘Crime 101’ Star Halle Berry Pushes Back, Says Son’s Photo Doesn’t Prove Abuse

The long-running custody fight between Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez has followed the former couple for more than a decade. The two met on the set of ‘Dark Tide’, married in 2013 and separated in 2015, but their divorce dragged on for nearly 8 years before it was finalized in August 2023 with shared custody of their son.

Things grew far more serious this month. On October 1, Martinez filed for a domestic violence restraining order, accusing Berry of physically abusing their son during an argument on September 26 and asking for sole custody. A Los Angeles County judge granted a temporary restraining order requiring Berry to stay 100 yards away from Martinez.

Now Berry is taking aim at a key piece of Martinez’s case. In new court documents obtained by TMZ, Berry challenges her ex-husband’s claim that their 13-year-old son took a photo to prove something happened during the alleged altercation last month.

According to Berry, the image shows her standing calmly with her hands in her pockets, several feet away from the teen. She also says there’s no photo showing any bruises, redness, or injuries that would support Martinez’s claim that their son told him she strangled him.

Berry further accuses Martinez of twisting comments made by her longtime boyfriend, Van Hunt, to suggest he examined the boy for injuries. In her account, Hunt simply said he didn’t see any.

Berry’s response comes just a day after Martinez filed his own documents. He claims their son was worried nobody would believe him, which is why he snapped the picture, and that the teen now wants to speak directly to the judge about his custody preferences and what allegedly happened.

In new court docs, obtained by TMZ, Halle fires back at Olivier’s claim that their 13-year-old son Maceo snapped the picture to prove "something happened" during last month’s alleged physical altercation. https://t.co/V4FZxtqax4

— TMZ (@TMZ) October 13, 2026

Martinez also pushed back on Berry’s October 5 emergency filing, calling it retaliatory. He argued she misled the court about their son’s medical treatment, claiming Berry was aware of the decision and had acknowledged it in writing.

Berry has denied the accusations since they first surfaced. Her attorney, Marina Beck, called Martinez’s filing meritless and misleading, while also pointing to what she described as his history of erratic and violent behavior.

Beck said there is extensive evidence, including judicial rulings, showing Martinez repeatedly violated court orders and interfered with therapeutic and educational support for their son. She added that he had already been legally sanctioned over that conduct.

This isn’t the first time the pair have clashed in court over their son’s care. In 2024, Berry sought sole custody herself, citing what she described as Martinez’s harmful behavior surrounding their son’s educational and therapeutic needs, and a judge later sided with her in a dispute over their co-parenting agreement.

Despite the current restraining order, Berry is still allowed to see her son during her court-ordered parenting time. She has also completed a court-mandated parenting program, and both parents have been ordered into confidential mediation over custody.

It’s important to note that none of the claims have been proven, and no court has found that Berry abused her son. The former couple currently share joint legal and physical custody.

Their custody battle is set to return to court on Friday, where the judge will weigh the competing filings. With a teenager now reportedly asking to be heard, the next hearing could be a pivotal moment in a dispute that has dragged on for years.

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