split

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that Washington’s economic pressure campaign against Iran is proving so effective that a resumption of large-scale military operations is unnecessary.

His remarks are the latest in an often-evolving series of messages from US President Donald Trump’s administration on the conflict with Iran. They also come after a crushing midterm defeat for Trump’s Republican Party, which the president acknowledged was likely partly driven by public opposition to the war.

So how do Rubio’s latest remarks compare with the positions of other administration officials, and what do they say about the state of the conflict?

What have Trump, Rubio and Vance said about the conflict?

Rubio made his latest comments on Tuesday after meeting with foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) forum in Paris.

He said he told G7 allies that “the economic campaign [against Iran] is so devastating that right now there is no need for major combat operations”.

“We don’t need to conduct military strikes if we’re achieving the same objective through economic means and economic pressure. That’s not stalemate,” Rubio said.

“The economic pressure on Iran is going to get even worse,” he added.

Rubio also pushed G7 allies to help “protect shipping” around the embattled Strait of Hormuz, where he said US forces would stay.

The secretary of state’s remarks were largely in line with Trump’s comments on Monday, when the president said further strikes against Iran were “quite unlikely”.

Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the US’s Gulf allies preferred a continuation of the “status quo”, referring to the US’s blockade of Iranian ports. Trump added that there appears to be “positive momentum” towards ending the conflict, but that the US remains “locked and loaded” should circumstances change.

Vice President JD Vance, who has been more critical of the war and recently wrote a lengthy social media post blaming the Republican Party’s midterm defeat on the conflict, favours a deal with Iran, which Trump does not believe is possible right now, the Reuters news agency cited an informed source as saying.

Between sanctions and diplomacy: What are the divisions on Iran war strategy?

Negotiations to end the US-Iran conflict have been largely stalled for months, as Iran continues to target vessels it claims are violating its conditions for transit through the Strait of Hormuz and the US ramps up sanctions against Iran and continues to blockade Iranian ports, with plans to block Iran’s land-based supply routes as well.

Back in September, Iran proposed a seven-day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restart talks. Tehran has since said that timeline could be brought down to two days. Tehran’s demands for the US include lifting sanctions Washington imposed after the collapse of a June memorandum of understanding (MoU), reducing the US military presence in the region, reinstating oil waivers and releasing frozen Iranian funds.

Trump, torn between restarting an unpopular war or pushing harder for a deal with Tehran, has for now settled on a middle ground: doubling down on the pressure campaign against Iran while avoiding a return to full-scale military action, according to officials quoted by Axios.

That strategy is backed by several key administration officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, as well as Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, Axios cited US officials as saying.

However, several US allies in the region, including Pakistan, Iraq and Turkiye, are concerned that a drawn-out US pressure campaign against Iran could hurt their own business interests, said one official cited by the news outlet.

Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, said that a long-term US policy of intensive sanctions and a blockade against Iran would only prolong an “unstable status quo” that would eventually escalate into more military confrontation.

However, he said one “walk-away” option for Trump could be to quietly relax the sanctions and blockade while maintaining them “on paper”.

In this case, “Trump walks away and claims to retain the blockade and sanctions infrastructure, but in reality, allows it to imperceptibly wither away,” Parsi told Al Jazeera. “The blockade begins to loosen, sanctions enforcement begins to decay, and slowly but surely, Asian and Middle Eastern countries begin trading with and investing in Iran.”

“A new equilibrium emerges in which sanctions enforcement is strong enough for the US to claim the restrictions are still in place, yet weak enough to prevent Tehran from challenging the new status quo,” Parsi said.

Have the midterm election results impacted Trump’s strategy?

Yes, according to analysts.

Negar Mortazavi, senior non-resident fellow at the Center for International Policy in Washington, DC, said the Republicans’ resounding election defeat “dramatically raised the political cost of more escalation” and gave the Democrats a stronger mandate to challenge the war.

“If Democrats unite and use their new power aggressively, they can make it increasingly difficult for Trump to continue the war, pressuring him to end it,” Mortazavi told Al Jazeera.

“A diplomatic breakthrough is not guaranteed, but the political and strategic costs of escalation keep growing, making another round of war less likely,” she added.

Both Trump and Vance have acknowledged that the Iran war was partly to blame for the Republicans’ loss, with Trump saying voters were not ready for petrol prices to rise.

According to a poll by Reuters/Ipsos completed on Monday, 71 percent of Americans – including 93 percent of Democrats and 51 percent of Republicans –  favour congressional legislation that would halt the Iran war.

What is Iran saying?

Iranian officials have upped their rhetoric even as Washington appears to be moving away from military escalation.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday said the war will “not end either through military means or by increasing sanctions”, but only through “using the language of respect”.

In comments carried by Iran’s IRNA news agency, he urged the US “to act on Iran’s demands and conditions”, adding that Trump “should have realised much earlier that he has not achieved, and will not achieve, any of his goals in the war with Iran”.

Iran’s top security chief Mohsen Rezaei, in a social media post on Monday, said the US government had been “wrecked” by the war and that it was time for it to “surrender” to Iran’s demands.

Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Vall, reporting from Tehran, noted that Iran’s language has become “more confident than ever before”.

“They’re trying to convey to the public, internally, and also to the Americans, that there is no way this war can be declared over without responding to those conditions presented by Iran during the negotiations,” said Vall.

What is the current status of diplomacy?

There are mixed messages.

The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday said that Doha is “working tirelessly” in its ongoing mediation efforts, and has received positive reactions from both sides.

Trump, the day before, after hosting Qatar’s prime minister at the White House, also spoke of “momentum towards the end of this conflict”, adding that “Iran is talking to us, and they’re talking very politely”.

Rubio, for his part, said the US remains “open to diplomacy”, but called Iran’s current demands “totally unrealistic”.

“We expect that could change – and if it does, we’re prepared for diplomacy,” he said.

Iranian officials, meanwhile, have appeared more sceptical of the latest reports of mediation, insisting that the US must accept their demands.

Rezaei on Tuesday said there ⁠were no negotiations taking place between Tehran and Washington and that Iran would retaliate against any new US attack by targeting US bases “far away”. He also said Iran would not let any of its enriched nuclear material leave the country, ruling out a concession the US has sought in potential nuclear talks.

In a social media post, Rezaei went on to accuse the US of “manufacturing FAKE NEWS about imaginary talks”.

JEFF Brazier’s ex-wife Kate has gone Instagram official with her hunky new boyfriend, almost a year after her marriage to the TV presenter ended.

The PR executive, 36, shared a string of holiday snaps from South Africa, giving followers their first glimpse of her new man.

In one picture, her dark-haired boyfriend looked relaxed in sunglasses as he enjoyed a ride on the famous Franschhoek Wine Tram.

Another showed him sitting indoors in a black T-shirt and light trousers, holding a bottle as he gazed off to the side.

Kate also shared a romantic picture of the couple standing arm in arm beside a picturesque stretch of water, and she appeared to be making the most of her sun-soaked getaway, posting a snap of herself relaxing beside a swimming pool.

The loved-up pictures come almost 12 months after The Sun exclusively revealed that Kate and Jeff, 46, had separated following seven years of marriage.

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The former couple tied the knot in 2018, having first got together in 2013, but their relationship endured a number of ups and downs.

They previously separated briefly in 2022 before deciding to give their marriage another chance.

However, last November, sources told The Sun that the couple had grown apart following a difficult year, with Kate reportedly moving out of their marital home.

At the time, Jeff hinted at a fresh start of his own, sharing pictures of his new countryside home and telling followers he was embracing a calmer chapter in his life.

The presenter, who raised sons Bobby and Freddy following the death of their mother Jade Goody in 2009, has continued his television career, including his work as a football presenter.

Jeff’s eldest son Bobby, 23, has also carved out a successful showbiz career, starring in EastEnders and reaching the final of Strictly Come Dancing in 2023.

Kate has not yet shared the name or more details about her new boyfriend.

Carmelo Anthony and La La Anthony (née Vázquez) reportedly have reached a settlement agreement after almost a decade-long split.

Although terms of the separation are confidential, there was a pending judgment of divorce that needed approval from the New York County Supreme Court as of Wednesday, according to People.

Once the former MTV VJ and the NBA star receive the official imprint from a judge, they’ll be newly minted singles.

La La filed for divorce from the NBA star back in 2021, citing irreconcilable differences, according to TMZ, which first reported on the settlement Wednesday.

The couple began dating in 2003 after being introduced through a mutual friend, DJ Clue. They became engaged on Christmas Day 2004 and three years later welcomed their son, Kiyan Anthony, now a 19-year-old sophomore at Syracuse University, where he is playing college basketball.

The two tied the knot in July 2010 in a New York ceremony with hundreds of guests, among them sports and entertainment stars including LeBron James, Spike Lee, Serena Williams, Ciara, Kim Kardashian and Ludacris, The Times reported.

Reports of their separation surfaced in April 2017, and by August of that year, Carmelo had welcomed a daughter with ex Mia Burks.

Although the Anthonys reconciled in late 2018, they ultimately called it quits in July 2019, according to People.

La La was already using a divorce label despite it not yet being official.

In a 2022 episode of Alex Cooper’s “Call Her Daddy” podcast, La La opened up about her split from Carmelo, saying that there were still difficult moments, especially regarding the co-parenting of Kiyan.

“I learned how strong I am,” she said when asked about what she’d learned from the divorce. “You just find yourself getting stronger and stronger. What do they say? Like you don’t know how strong you are until being strong is your only option.”

La La also shared that the demise of their marriage began around the time that Carmelo was traded from the Denver Nuggets to the New York Knicks in 2011.

At the time of the 2022 interview, she shared that her perspective on love had changed. “I just don’t know if it’s in the cards for me,” she said on the podcast.

However, in a more recent October interview on “The Jennifer Hudson Show,” she revealed she was “open” to dating and that this was her “season of being open” for someone who is confident and adventurous.

As for the NBA Hall of Famer, he was rumored to be dating Racquel Smith, the widow of former NFL defensive end Will Smith. The two were seen together in June.

Hollywood Park was winning one fight and losing another, both by slim margins, as vote counting continued Tuesday night on two ballot measures in Inglewood.

According to results posted by the Los Angeles County registrar shortly after 10:30 p.m., Measure AT was losing, 51.9% to 48.1%, a margin of 583 votes; and Measure BB was losing 51% to 49%, a margin of 307.

Measure AT would mean more ticket taxes for big events in Inglewood, home to SoFi Stadium, Intuit Dome and the Forum. The City of Inglewood wants that.

Measure BB would bar the city from allowing billboard advertising on sidewalks, medians and the like. Owners of those sports and entertainment venues, who have their own sponsorship deals, are backing that measure.

Meanwhile, City Council member Gloria D. Gray led incumbent Mayor James T. Butts Jr., 34.6% to 29.8%, putting them on an early track for a runoff election in March.

Los Angeles County does not provide a timeline for when the election results will be listed as final.

The ballot measures were spawned by a feud between Inglewood and Hollywood Park, the nearly 300-acre development anchored by SoFi Stadium and owned by Rams owner Stan Kroenke.

The fight started last year over billboards. Inglewood signed a deal with WOW Media for 60 digital signs carrying 108 screens, some of them bus-shelter-sized kiosks. Others are street displays up to 22 feet tall on sidewalks and medians.

SoFi Stadium, Intuit Dome and the Forum sued to block the deal, arguing the signs would undercut their individual sponsors who paid for exclusivity. A judge sided with the city and an appeal is underway.

Measure BB, short for “Billboard Blight,” aimed to restrict billboard advertising on public property. It qualified with nearly 13,000 signatures.

The WOW deal runs 20 years with two 10-year options, so it could be around for 40 years.

“It’s biblical in length,” said John Shallman, the political strategist managing the “Yes on BB” campaign. “You go back 40 years. We didn’t even have the Internet. We didn’t have cell phones.”

Skip Miller, lead attorney for the city, said the kiosks “blend in with the surrounding areas” and connect to a network that provides traffic and safety information.

The billboards are subject to Inglewood Ballot Measure BB, which calls for the halt of advertising on them.

(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)

Measure AT, backed by the city, would lift a $15-million cap on the 10% admission tax the stadium pays. Hollywood Park sees it as punishment for challenging the billboard deal.

The billboard fight led to a bigger one. Last month, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge ruled void the 2015 development agreement that cleared the way for SoFi Stadium, citing a 2018 Moreno Valley decision.

Under the 2015 agreement, Hollywood Park paid up front for roads, water lines, streetlights and event-day police and emergency services, with the city agreeing to eventually reimburse Kroenke for those expenses. Now that the agreement has been voided, the city argues it isn’t required to pay.

EMMERDALE star Matthew Wolfenden has marked his third anniversary with rarely-seen girlfriend Heather Scott-Martin as he moves from the collapse of his marriage to former co-star Charley Webb.

The actor confirmed his relationship with Heather after meeting the trained choreographer and dance teacher while starring in a West End production of Elf: The Musical in December 2023.

Just weeks earlier, Matthew, 46, announced the end of his five-year marriage to Charley in a joint statement – and later claimed he’d been dumped by his wife while she was touring UK theatres in playwright James Graham’s Quiz.

But he appeared to be back on his feet while celebrating his third anniversary with Heather in a new social media post on Sunday.

Sharing a handful of photos – among them a backstage shot of the pair at London’s Dominion Theatre as they prepared for Elf – he wrote: “Three years of you.”

Speaking exclusively to The Sun shortly after announcing their relationship, Matthew said they bonded over their respective splits.

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He said: “I met Heather doing Elf. Me and Charley had been separated for a few months and then Heather was the dance captain on Elf, she’s a choreographer and a dancer.

“She’d also recently separated from her long-term partner roughly the same time me and Charley had separated so we kind of had this common bond.

“All the cast used to go out for drinks and stuff and we’d end up sitting together and chatting about relationships and things that had happened, and that’s how we started chatting.

“We’d be the last ones in the pub still chatting, it was almost like it was meant to be, that we found each other.”

The actor – best known for his former role as David Metcalfe in Emmerdale – shares sons Buster, 14, Bowie, nine and five-year-old Ace, five, with ex-wife Charley.

Addressing their painful split during an appearance on the Lewis Nicholls Podcast in May 2025, Matthew claimed his former wife left him as he prepared for a new role on the West End stage.

He said: “It was Charley’s decision. Charley decided she wanted to separate. 

“It was hard, it was a hard time for me. By this point I’d decided to leave Emmerdale. Charley was on tour with a play called Quiz so I was leaving a job I’d been in for 18 years, I’d just been offered a job in the West End, so it was a big change for me. 

“I had the kids full time at that time because Charley was out on tour and then out of the blue I got this news that she wanted to separate. 

“It was a tough time for me, it was a time of big changes and then this on top of things wasn’t the best news in the world. But things happen for a reason.  

“It was the fact that the kids were quite young and it wasn’t only a couple of years ago. That was a concern to me. We had to move onwards.”

He added: “I didn’t expect it at all, it was a big shock. Separation is very difficult when you’ve spent 15 years together, your lives together and everything you own is together – just sorting out. 

“Especially when the separation happened when Charley was on tour and I was moving to London after leaving Emmerdale.”

Despite the abrupt split, Matthew claimed the former couple put their differences aside and found a way forward.

He added: “Everything was a bit up in the air for the first few months but we’re very very amicable, we’re still friends and we’ve got kids together so you have to be.

“We’re always going to have a relationship.”

FORMER Coronation Street actress Georgia May Foote looked stunning as she playfully posed in a green bikini.

The star has been enjoying a getaway in Dubai and wowed her followers by opting for the colourful two-piece.

Georgia, 35, showed off her killer curves and had a white sarong to cover up whilst taking a stroll on her holiday.

She added to her post: “Swipe for a happy happy girl.”

Her brunette locks fell in front of her face as she left her followers wowing with the jaw-dropping snaps.

Georgia’s trip away comes just weeks after she went public with her new boyfriend following her sudden marriage split last year.

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The star split from her husband Kris Evans last year but she has now moved on for good.

Georgia has been romancing a top record producer who has worked with the likes of Aitch and Central Cee.

Taras Slusarenko, who goes by LiTek online, was unveiled by The Sun after he swept Georgia off her feet.

Taras, who is originally from Russia, lives just outside of Manchester and around 30 minutes from where Georgia resides.

Talking of the new romance, a source revealed to The Sun: “Georgia met Taras earlier this year at a running club and they’ve been smitten ever since.

“He has brought the smile back on her face and they’re in a bubble together.”

It’s official: Former entertainment power couple Margaret Qualley and Jack Antonoff are ending their marriage.

“The Substance” star Qualley and Bleachers rocker Antonoff filed papers for an “uncontested joint divorce” on Friday in Kings County Supreme Court in New York. Representatives for Qualley, 32, and Antonoff, 42, did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment.

The Emmy-nominated actor and the Grammy-winning musician, also known for collaborations with pop stars Taylor Swift and Lorde, separated in the summer. A source close to the couple confirmed to People at the time that the estranged partners were going through a “rocky” period.

“They share a deep affinity and love for one another, and though their romantic partnership is ending, they will absolutely be lifelong friends,” the source told the outlet.

Speculation about the pair’s split began in July, with internet fans noticing that Qualley — daughter of actor Andie MacDowell and Paul J. Qualley — appeared to delete photos featuring Antonoff (formerly of rock bands fun. and Steel Train) from her Instagram page. Among the scrubbed photos were reportedly wedding pictures she shared in March to promote the musician’s song “dirty wedding dress.”

Qualley and Antonoff married in August 2023, a little over a year after they got engaged and two years after first sparking up a romance in August 2021. Lana Del Rey, then-item Zoë Kravitz and Channing Tatum, and Swift were among the attendees at their nuptials at Parker’s Garage on Long Beach Island.

News of the Qualley-Antonoff split arose days after the latter was spotted attending Swift and Travis Kelce’s lavish wedding bash at New York City’s Madison Square Garden without his wife. Antonoff’s ex-girlfriend, “Girls” creator and “Famesick” author Lena Dunham, was also in attendance.

Antonoff has been on the road for the Bleachers Forever tour since June and recently performed at the Troubadour in West Hollywood. He kicks off the European leg of the tour next week in Italy. He spoke to the Guardian in an interview published this week about still performing music inspired by his romance with Qualley. “It’s beautiful,” he said.

“I don’t rewrite the past, I have no shame about the things I’ve said. My life has been dedicated to making it impossible for me to rewrite the past, because I’m standing there, singing about how I felt during the good times,” he said, “so when the bad times hit I can’t look myself in the mirror and pretend that those times didn’t exist. I would rather live through something publicly than even escape it privately.”

Coronation Street’s Debbie Webster and Ronnie Bailey faced a split on Friday night, as the pair clashed amid Debbie deteriorating following her dementia diagnosis on the soap

Fans of Coronation Street were left fearing for a popular couple after Friday’s episode of the ITV soap. Debbie Webster’s out-of-character behaviour continued, and it put pressure on her relationship with her husband Ronnie Bailey. Debbie has dementia, and recently she’s deteriorated hugely.

She’s starting to struggle with recognising people she knows well, and has even called Ronnie the wrong name. Making mistakes at work has also added to the strain, and she has moments where she forgets things have happened.

Ronnie shared his concerns this week about being intimate with his wife, in case she forgot who he was. Things worsened on Friday after drama with a bride and groom at the hotel.

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Events led to Debbie and Ronnie rowing at home, and Ronnie admitted she wasn’t the woman he had fallen in love with. Struggling to care for Debbie and to deal with her condition, Ronnie claimed Debbie was close to throwing herself at another man.

Calling her “so random”, he admitted he didn’t know what she was going to do next. It’s then that he left Debbie heartbroken by his comment about her not being the woman he loved, and she kicked him out of the house.

As Ronnie left, a broken Debbie burst into tears, reeling that her marriage might be in crisis. But will Ronnie’s comment lead to Debbie ending things? Will Ronnie struggle to be with Debbie going forward, and could this lead to a devastating split for them?

Fans were heartbroken by the scenes, with one writing: “I truly feel for both Debbie and Ronnie. Of course you want your partner to desire you, but when you become someone’s caretaker that kinda gets pushed to the back burner.”

Another said: “Debbie breaking my heart in today’s episode. Sue is incredible.” A third viewer posted: “Wish they’d give Debbie some good times. Life’s tough enough for her and Ronnie. Give her a break writers.”

A final fan said: “I think it’s only just begun and the heartbreak to come will be deserving of an award from all involved and especially Sue Devaney.” It comes following the show announcing that former character Owen Armstrong is returning after a decade away.

Actor Ian Puleston-Davies is reprising his role, and there’s set to be trouble for Gary Windass. Owen decides to move back to the Cobbles to live with his daughter Izzy Armstrong, amid trouble with Owen’s young grandson Jake.

His scenes won’t air until January 2027, but actor Ian is back filming very soon. After nearly 11 years, Owen returns to the Street, and it’s said he is far from impressed by Gary’s behaviour of late.

Blaming Gary for Izzy and Jake’s own drama, it’s been teased Owen’s comeback could spell trouble for Gary’s business at the builders yard. Commenting on his return after his exit in 2015, Ian said: “I can’t wait to pick up where I left off ten years ago! It’s brilliant to be back and to get stuck into a cracking storyline. Owen’s back and he’s still angry!”

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TWO of Britain’s best-known comedians’ on-off romance appears to have come to an end — despite previously insisting they were together for good.

Shaparak Khorsandi, formerly known professionally as Shappi, has set tongues wagging after revealing she’s been trying her luck on dating apps, suggesting her relationship with fellow comic Mark Steel is over.

But it seems the world of online romance has been anything but a barrel of laughs for the stand-up star, who admitted she’d already thrown in the towel.

Sharing a candid Instagram video about her dating disasters, she wrote: “I have come off the site because I really didn’t like who I was on it. I never thought I would hate someone for wanting ‘travel tips for Japan’”

She added the hashtags #midlifedating, #onlinedatingfail and #datingapps — but it wasn’t long before eagle-eyed followers noticed something rather surprising.

One asked: “I thought you were already in a relationship, Shappi……” Another questioned: “I thought you were with Mark Steel?”

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The apparent split is particularly surprising given Mark’s declaration last year that the couple had finally cracked the secret to lasting love after years of breaking up and making up.

The former I’m A Celeb star, who was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2023, previously revealed his devastating health battle had brought them back together after a period apart.

Speaking to The Guardian in February 2025, Mark said: “We were no good not being together,” before insisting things were going “great” between them.

He added: “It’s lovely. You can never say with these things, but… I think it’s permanent now.”

Their rollercoaster romance also featured in his 2025 memoir, The Leopard in My House: One Man’s Adventures in Cancerland, which documented his gruelling cancer treatment and their reconciliation.

And things certainly appeared rosy in October 2024, when Shaparak shared an Instagram video showing Mark waiting at home as she returned from touring, giving fans a glimpse into their domestic bliss.

The pair had been romantically linked since at least 2022, with Shaparak previously referring to Mark as her boyfriend, but her latest dating-app confession suggests their happy ending may have been short-lived.

The Sun has approached representatives for both stars for comment.

MOVE over Brad and Angelina – Hollywood has another bitter custody war on its hands, and this one is about to get even messier, with a 13-year-old boy preparing to give evidence against his own parents.

Oscar-winner Halle Berry and her ex-husband Olivier Martinez are locked in an explosive legal battle over their son Maceo after allegations of physical abuse plunged their already turbulent relationship into fresh crisis.

Today Maceo will appear in court to give evidence in a hearing over a restraining order sought by his dad, who has accused 60-year-old Halle of attacking the teenager during an argument at her home in September.

The judge has ruled that Maceo will testify, despite Halle’s objections, although his evidence is limited to the restraining order request and he will appear in a closed courtroom.

It marks a dramatic new chapter in a custody battle that has dragged on for years since the couple’s disastrous marriage collapsed in 2015 after just two years.

And while French actor Olivier insists his son deserves to have his voice heard, Halle claims the boy has been “coached and manipulated”.

The latest showdown erupted after Olivier, who is also 60, obtained a temporary domestic violence restraining order against Halle this month, accusing her of physically abusing Maceo on September 26 this year.

In the court filings, he alleged she jumped on their son, put her hands around his neck and choked him.

He claimed the row erupted after Halle called Maceo “stupid” over a game involving virtual reality glasses, and that afterwards a “traumatised” Maceo begged Olivier to pick him up.

Halle has vehemently denied the allegations, insisting the pair were “roughhousing”.

She says the incident arose as she tried to enforce boundaries, claiming Maceo had been ­physically aggressive towards her.

In a statement, she said: “I have never physically, emotionally, or otherwise abused Maceo. I am a victim of domestic violence, and I help ­victims of domestic violence . . . I am not a perpetrator of violence. I would never hurt our child.”

Halle has found a fierce ally in 18-year-old Nahla, her daughter by former partner Gabriel Aubry, who leapt to her mum’s defence in a sworn declaration.

She said: “I have never seen my mom hit, slap, choke, grab or physically abuse Maceo in any way.

“I have never seen my mom place her hands around Maceo’s neck, put him in a choke hold, restrict his breathing or engage in any conduct remotely resembling the allegations that have been made against her.”

Nahla described Halle as a “loving and devoted parent”.

It is a far cry from how it all began.

Halle and Olivier met in 2010 in South Africa on the set of the horror film Dark Tide, shortly after she had split from French-Canadian model Gabriel.

They got engaged in 2012 and married in France in July 2013, and Halle gave birth to Maceo that October.

For a time they appeared to have found happiness together, with Maceo’s arrival completing the family.

Now Halle’s lawyer Marina Beck has branded the court filing “entirely meritless and deliberately misleading”.

She claimed Olivier had repeatedly violated court orders, “misconduct for which Mr Martinez has already been legally sanctioned”, and alleged he has a ­history of “erratic, possessive and ­violent behaviour”.

Halle also accuses Olivier of ignoring evidence which she says contradicts his version of events, including statements from her now-fiancé Van Hunt, who was present, and what she describes as contemporaneous video evidence.

Her filing reads: “Van Hunt was physically present during the incident and is the only adult third-party eyewitness to the events at issue.”

She argued that Maceo has “a ­personal interest in minimising his own conduct”, claiming he has behaved similarly at school.

Halle told the court that making him testify would place him “directly in the middle of a highly contentious dispute between his parents” and risk harm to his wellbeing.

She added that he has spent the past two weeks mainly in Olivier’s care, discussing the allegations and the litigation.

But Olivier has launched a blistering counter-attack, insisting his son is the real victim.

His lawyer Patrick Baghdaserians said: “We vehemently deny such ­allegations. The child is the primary victim here. Victims of abuse should be able to testify regarding the abuse inflicted upon them.”

He added: “We are not surprised that the opposing party does not want the child Maceo to testify.

“The opposing party is seemingly scared of what the child will say.”

Olivier said Maceo “was concerned that no one will believe him over his mother” and “wants to speak with the court to provide his side of the story”.

He continued in his declaration: “Given that our son is 13 years old, I believe it would certainly be in his best interest for him to address the court.

“I believe that our son’s testimony will be the key to the Court learning the full truth about the events that occurred on September 26.

“I am the parent who wants the truth to come out. I am the parent who does not want to suppress Maceo’s voice.”

Mr Baghdaserians warned that if their son was stopped from speaking, Olivier “fears that [Maceo] would be dissuaded from reporting problems or potential abuse in the future”.

The team also expected Halle “will try to prevent Maceo from addressing the court directly”.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Shelley Kaufman ruled that “the minor child shall not be coached” and reminded both parents that existing orders remain in force, including not discussing custody issues or court papers with him.

But Olivier has hit back by asking the judge to block Nahla from testifying, claiming she is “unquestionably biased” and has “no significant bearing” on the case.

He said it was not appropriate for Halle to “insert her daughter into ­litigation that does not involve her”.

The hearing is set to be an ­agonising showdown for two exes who have been trading blows in court for years over how to raise Maceo.

The marriage was short-lived. The couple’s wedding took place in France on July 13, 2013, but cracks soon began to show.

In January 2015, showbiz news ­service TMZ reported that Olivier had appeared to push a worker at Los Angeles airport with a child car seat as photographers closed in.

He was named a suspect in a battery investigation but no charges followed.

By October 2015 the couple had confirmed their split, saying in a joint statement they were divorcing “with a heavy heart” and wished each other “nothing but happiness in life”.

Yet the bitter legal wrangling ­rumbled on for the best part of a decade, with their divorce not ­finalised until August 2023.

The settlement required Halle to pay £6,000 a month in child support, cover Maceo’s private school tuition and contribute more than £41,500 towards Olivier’s legal fees, with the pair sharing joint custody of Maceo.

But the courtroom clashes did not stop there. In 2024 the pair were back in front of a judge over co- parenting therapy, with Halle accusing Olivier of trying to delay it by taking “the summer off” to travel.

She then sought sole custody, claiming Maceo had “serious behaviour and learning problems” and that Olivier refused to get a tutor because it could interfere with their son’s football schedule.

Olivier disputed the claims. Halle also said she had spent more than £150,000 trying to “work with” her ex, and swiped at him over child support.

“As Olivier has advised this court, he lives off my child ­support,” she wrote.

Now Olivier has filed for sole custody and has been granted primary custody, along with a restraining order barring Halle from coming within 100 yards of him.

She has been given two days a week of court-ordered visitation and every other weekend with Maceo.

She has also completed a court-mandated parenting programme.

For now, the battle lines are firmly drawn, with Halle fighting to protect her reputation and relationship with her son, while Olivier insists Maceo’s account of events must be heard.

And with Maceo due to take the stand today, the latest chapter in one of Hollywood’s most vicious ­custody disputes is set to unfold in a courtroom far removed from the glitz and glamour of the world that the former couple once shared.

The Sun has approached representatives for both Halle and Olivier for comment.

Former Strictly Come Dancing dancer Ola Jordan recently floored fans as she debuted a “hot” image following the breakdown of her marriage to fellow dancer James Jordan. It seems she got the last laugh

A professional dancer floored fans after showing off her “hot” image following the breakdown of her marriage. Ola Jordan, 44, previously featured as a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing, and has lately re-emerged in the public eye.

She featured on It Takes Two this week to discuss dancing, but people were instantly distracted by her daring look. The TV figure, who commands over 340,000 Instagram followers, evidently made quite an impact as people rushed to share similar observations about her attire, openly expressing their opinions.

It comes after she recently made her way back into the spotlight. She returned to It Takes Two 11 years after her show exit.

On Monday (October 12), Ola posted on Instagram. She wrote: “Back on the It Takes Two panel tonight! Always so much fun, lots of laughs and a little bit of Strictly gossip!”

She also uploaded several photographs of herself in a plunging, red dress. It was quite short, and followers felt it highlighted her physique brilliantly.

One said: “Stunningly beautiful lady in red. Great to see you back where you belong.”

Another added: “Stunning Ola. On fire. Love it.”

A third replied: “Beautiful, sexy woman.” Meanwhile, a fourth commented: “Hot lady.”

Someone else also responded: “OMG I am now watching you on record. Wow, you look absolutely, stunningly perfect. Your hair, make-up, figure and that amazing red dress.”

Ola appears somewhat different from how many will recall her, sporting darker locks than before. She looked absolutely stunning as she confidently showed off her figure for the photographs.

Earlier this year, reports emerged that Ola had separated from her husband and former fellow professional, James Jordan, after more than 20 years together. The dancing duo exchanged vows in 2003 before joining the beloved BBC One series three years later, swiftly becoming one of Strictly’s most adored couples.

Upon announcing their split, the pair — who welcomed their daughter Ella in 2020 — revealed they had chosen to trial a separation “some time ago” before ultimately confirming their permanent parting. James and Ola’s close friend and manager Vickie White broke the news to the Daily Star at the time.

She said in a statement: “It is with great sadness that I can confirm that James and Ola began a trial separation some time ago. Their shared priority remains co-parenting their daughter, Ella, and they are committed to putting her wellbeing first.

“They would greatly appreciate your understanding as they navigate this difficult time.” James and Ola first got together in 1999 and had been set to mark their 23rd wedding anniversary this month.