Martinez alleged the dispute began when Berry criticised Maceo while he was using virtual reality goggles. He claimed the actress then physically confronted their son and placed her hands around his neck.
“The situation escalated and Petitioner [Berry] jumped on our son and started physically fighting with him,” Martinez alleged, Page Six reported.
Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry. Photo / Getty Images
Martinez claimed Maceo later contacted him and asked to be collected, telling his father he did not want to return to Berry’s home. According to Page Six, Martinez believes the child may have been traumatised.
Martinez claimed there had been previous physical attacks against their son, as well as verbal and emotional abuse directed at him.
He alleged Berry had, on other occasions, wrestled Maceo to the ground and forced him to “tap out”.
According to Variety, Martinez said Berry sent him a text message after the alleged incident in which she said she felt “terrible” about what had happened.
Beck accused Martinez of having a “well-documented history of erratic, possessive and violent behaviour” and said Berry would continue to act in what she believed were her son’s best interests.
The latest allegations mark another chapter in a long-running custody dispute between the former couple, Page Six reported. Berry and Martinez married in 2013 before separating in 2015. Their divorce took years to finalise and has been followed by ongoing disagreements over parenting arrangements.
In court filings lodged in 2024, Berry claimed she had spent more than US$200,000 ($356,000) in legal fees during the custody dispute, including US$80,000 towards Martinez’s legal expenses, and accused him of refusing to communicate in a child-focused manner.
The pair had undertaken co-parenting therapy amid continuing disputes over raising their son, People magazine previously reported.