Messages from Halle Berry to her ex-husband Olivier Martinez have come to light, putting her in an even more delicate situation with her son

Messages exchanged between Halle Berry and her former husband Olivier Martinez have shed new light on the increasingly tense custody dispute involving their 12-year-old son, Maceo.

The conversations were included in court documents after Martinez sought a temporary restraining order and asked for sole custody of their son.

In his filing, the actor alleged that Berry physically assaulted Maceo during an incident on Sept. 26, claiming she jumped on him, put her hands around his neck and choked him. The allegations haven't been established in court, and Berry's representatives have strongly disputed Martinez's account.

The text messages nevertheless show the strained relationship between Berry and her son around the time of the alleged incident.

According to the documents, Martinez told Berry that Maceo had asked to be picked up early. Berry reportedly reacted angrily, questioning why her son wanted to leave and expressing frustration over what she described as his lack of respect for her.

In subsequent messages, Berry allegedly told Martinez that Maceo believed she had little authority over him.

“I’m his mother and this is wrong! He had no respect for his mother and this should not be ok for you as his father!!!,” wrote Berry .

“He is disrespectful to me and feels I have no say on anything thing. I’m just money bags! This is wrong and wrong!”

The exchange reportedly took a different tone the following day, when Berry contacted Martinez again. She said she'd reached out to Maceo and asked her former husband to encourage their son to speak with her.

Berry also acknowledged that she felt terrible about what had happened the previous night and said she believed Maceo felt the same way.

The custody dispute enters a new legal phase

Both parents' legal teams have presented very different accounts of the situation. Martinez's attorney, Patrick Baghdaserians , said his client's main concern is Maceo's health, welfare and safety, describing Martinez as a parent who has tried to do what's best for his son.

Berry's attorney, Marina Beck , has called Martinez's filing “entirely meritless and deliberately misleading.” She has also accused Martinez of previously violating court orders and interfering with therapeutic and educational interventions involving Maceo .

Those claims are also disputed and form part of the broader conflict between the former couple.

A Los Angeles County judge granted Martinez a temporary restraining order on Oct. 1. Under the order, Berry must remain 100 yards away from Martinez , although the court didn't completely prevent her from seeing their son. Her visitation with Maceo is subject to temporary restrictions, while a further hearing is scheduled for Oct. 16.

Berry and Martinez married in 2013 and separated several years later, eventually finalizing their divorce in 2023. Their agreement provided for joint legal custody of Maceo , along with financial arrangements that included child support and other expenses.