LOS ANGELES: A judge Monday ordered a former US Navy special forces operative accused of stalking Oscar-winning movie star Halle Berry to stay at least 80 meters from her. Judge Linda Lefkowitz issued a preliminary injunction against Greg Broussard ordering him not to make contact with Berry, her manager, Vincent Cirrincione or publicist Karen Samfilippo.

Court documents said Broussard had identified himself as a graduate of the US Naval Academy and a former Navy SEAL from the southern state of Louisiana. The Navy SEALs are a special forces unit considered to offer one of the toughest training courses in the world in special warfare and guerrilla-style tactics. Neither Berry, who became the first black actress to win a best-actress Academy Award in 2002, nor 35-year-old Broussard were in court in the Los Angeles district of Santa Monica for the hearing.

Broussard has allegedly made numerous attempts to contact Berry by telephone and fax and “incorrectly believes that Mr Cirrincione is Ms Berry’s father,” according to court papers.

In her declaration to the court, Berry alleges that Broussard “has imagined a relationship with me wherein he and I are engaged to be married and that my manager and publicist are preventing him from being with me. I do not know Mr Broussard and do not wish to have any contact with him. The threats he has relayed make me fear for my own safety as well as those who represent me,” the 35-year-old beauty wrote.

Cirrincione contends that Broussard has “focused his threats on me because he believes I am the person standing in his way of an imagined relationship” with the star of the upcoming movie ‘Catwoman’. Judge Lefkowitz said she granted the preliminary injunction based upon evidence submitted by Berry’s attorney, Blair Berk, which the judge said formed a “sufficient basis” for the stay-away order. Outside of court, Berk declined comment on how long the preliminary injunction would be in place. Broussard was not represented by an attorney. Berry filed for divorce from her second husband, Eric Benet, in April, three years after the marriage and six months after the couple announced their separation. — AFP