Halle Berry claims son sees her as ‘money bags’ as text messages emerge in custody case

Text messages between Halle Berry and her ex, Olivier Martinez, have emerged after the latter requested sole custody of their 12-year-old son, Maceo.

The French actor filed a petition for a temporary restraining order against the Oscar winner according to documents obtained by PEOPLE.

He alleged she caused him “emotional and mental distress due to physical abuse of our minor child, Maceo.”

Martinez also claimed that on Saturday, September 26, Berry “physically abused our son, Maceo, by jumping on him, putting her hands around his neck, and choking him.” In the filing, Martinez referred to it as “the latest incident of abuse.” “I contend that there have been other instances of abuse over the course of the last few years,” he claimed in the court docs.

In other text messages in the filing, Martinez notified Berry that Maceo asked to be picked up early. Martinez asked if Berry was okay with the change, to which she allegedly replied, “No I’m not ok with it. He wants to fight his mother?? What kind of kid are we raising.”

“As a father ask him what kind of kid is he,” she wrote in a second message, before adding, “I’m his mother?”

Martinez replied, saying he’s not aware of what is happening, but alleged that the mother and son frequently fight. “So, u keep him at ur place? even if he [doesn’t want to] stay?”

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

In a statement shared with PEOPLE, Berry’s attorney Marina Beck described Martinez’s filing as “entirely meritless and deliberately misleading.”

“To say this filing is entirely meritless and deliberately misleading would be an understatement,” Beck said, later adding, “Fortunately, Halle is used to this kind of outrageous conduct from Mr. Martinez and, while she is deeply saddened, she will not allow it to deter her from fighting for Maceo’s best interests and providing him with the love and support he needs.”

Meanwhile, Martinez’s lawyer Patrick Baghdaserians said his client’s “paramount concern is the health, welfare and the safety of the minor child, hence the action that he took in court by filing the request for domestic violence restraining order.”

“The second concern would be for mother to get the appropriate help that she needs to address her issues so she can better herself, which would in turn help the minor child moving forward,” Baghdaserians adds, calling Martinez “a loving parent” who has “tried to do the best he can. Obviously, it’s always difficult when you’re in a co-parenting relationship. Our paramount concern right now is only one real issue, and that’s protecting this great kid.”

Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez filed for divorce in October 2015, two years into their marriage. After almost eight years, they finalized their divorce in 2023 and agreed on joint legal custody, according to documents obtained by PEOPLE.