Actress Mischa Barton has had a temporary restraining order against an ex-lover renewed after accusing him of "stalking" her.

The former The O.C. star has been battling Adam Spaw and another former fling, Jon Zacharias, in court since March (17) after claiming one or both of them were responsible for leaking a sex tape featuring the 31-year-old.

The two friends blamed each other for shopping the X-rated footage, which Barton maintains was made without her consent, to adult film companies, prompting the actress to take legal action over the revenge porn controversy, barring them from releasing any of the footage.

Barton returned to a Los Angeles court on Friday (30Jun17), when she was expected to face off with Spaw, but he was forced to skip the showdown to travel to Cincinnati, Ohio, where his mother was undergoing surgery, according to E! News.

The hearing went ahead as planned, with Barton testifying against Spaw, accusing him of ignoring the protective order she had previously been granted earlier this year (17).

She told the judge, "He doesn't seem to understand the TRO (temporary restraining order). I definitely feel he's been stalking me. I look over my shoulder all the time when I'm walking. He's intimidating. He's six-foot-four. I would be terrified to see him."

Barton also alleged Spaw had been texting and calling her in recent weeks, and described a recent close encounter, when he showed up at a mutual friend's house, where she was staying, reports the New York Daily News.

After hearing her evidence, the judge extended her temporary restraining order and set a follow-up hearing for 21 July (17), when it will be decided whether or not to make the order permanent.

Barton and her lawyer Lisa Bloom celebrated the minor court victory after the hearing, with the actress declaring she was "happy" and vowing to "continue to fight for justice".

"People should always have the right to protect themselves, especially women, against people who stalk you, make you nervous, try to do things against you, try to release images without your consent," she said, E! News reported. "I consider this a victory."