LOS ANGELES — Halle Berry has formally denied ex-husband Olivier Martinez's child-abuse allegations in a new court filing, calling his claims "entirely meritless and deliberately misleading" as their custody battle over son Maceo escalates ahead of an October 16 hearing.

Martinez had sought a temporary restraining order against Berry, alleging that on September 26 she grabbed or choked Maceo during an argument over him playing a VR game. A judge granted the TRO on October 1, requiring Berry to stay 100 yards from Martinez — though their existing 2023 custody agreement for Maceo remains in place. Martinez is separately seeking sole custody and has raised concerns about Berry's mental health and alcohol use; Maceo has been diagnosed with ADHD, mild dyslexia and other learning disorders.

"I WOULD NEVER HURT OUR CHILD."

In her response, Berry says she was recording Maceo on her phone when he grabbed it and the two began "playfully roughhousing," and she denies putting her hands around his neck. "I would never hurt our child," Berry has said. Her attorney, Marina Beck, said Martinez's filing is "entirely meritless and deliberately misleading," and argued Martinez has himself violated court orders in the past.

The dispute is the latest flashpoint in a years-long custody saga between Berry and Martinez, who divorced in 2016. Neither side's underlying claims have been resolved by a judge, and the case returns to court on October 16, where a ruling on the TRO and the broader custody request could follow.