Halle Berry's Extortion Court Drama: 'Catwoman' Star 'Fears Conspiracy With Ex To Release Compromising Photos'
Berry and Martinez's custody battle over their son has taken another turn.
Sept. 9 2024, Published 8:00 p.m. ET
Halle Berry is suing to stop her ex-husband, Olivier Martinez, from allegedly spying on her in their ugly custody battle.
Sources tell RadarOnline.com the actress fears a former employee conspired with Martinez to secretly snap compromising photos of her in an elaborate extortion scheme.
The Monster's Ball Oscar-winner and French actor, both 58, are locked in a prolonged legal war in which Berry has accused Martinez of violating their co-parenting agreement in multiple ways. She said he skipped out on therapy sessions for their son, Maceo, and accused her ex of trying to turn the 10-year-old against her.
The coparenting therapy sessions were supposed to be completed by June 14.
In a five-page declaration, she has now accused Olivier of trying to "dig up negative information" by recruiting an ex-employee named Erica "to memorialize her interactions with Maceo" and allegedly share them with the child's therapist, Dr. Amy Goldman.
Berry said in the documents, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court: "I recently received a copy of Erica's e-mail to Dr. Goldman, in which Erica, 'per Olivier's request', wanted to have a 'confidential conversation' with Dr. Goldman regarding her time in my household."
Berry, 57, filed a complaint in Los Angeles last week after Martinez, 58, spent July in France.
She continued: "Through the lawsuit I have initiated against Erica for violating the terms of her employment contract, I have learned that (1) Olivier pressured Erica to reach out to Dr. Goldman by leveraging a referral for employment and requested that she send him photos and videos recorded during her employment; (2) that Olivier told Erica exactly what to say to Dr. Goldman."
The exes were married for two years before splitting up in 2015 — and their divorce battle dragged on until 2023.
Our source believes Martinez has an axe to grind with his ex, setting the stage for the brawl that erupted as Berry accused him of wanting to take the "summer off" from their coparenting therapy.
Berry also charged Martinez with engaging in "obstructionist conduct" in a bid to milk her for cash to fund his lawyers. But Martinez fired back, accusing Berry of "constantly attempting to strong-arm [him] by forcing him into 'submission' using her wealth, and the legal professionals at her disposal".
The couple was married for two years before their 2015 split.
After she sought sole custody of their son, Martinez's attorney accused Berry of "seeking new, extraordinary and draconian relief, to have sole legal custody regarding the parties' minor child's mental health and educational decisions, including wanting to solely decide to give the parties' son psychiatric medication".
He also accused the Catwoman star of "attempting to bootstrap her way into an immediate hearing” after a separate motion for emergency orders was denied in July. He claimed she wasn't giving him time to prepare for a hearing and was keeping him from being able to defend himself by refusing to pay for his legal counsel.
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Martinez with his son.
