Actor Sentenced for Attack
Actor Nick Pasqual receives 32-years-to-life sentence for attempted murder of Allie Shehorn.
Nick Pasqual, an actor known for a minor role on *How I Met Your Mother*, has been sentenced to 32 years to life in prison for the attempted murder of Hollywood makeup artist Allie Shehorn. A Los Angeles judge handed down the sentence on June 2, 2026, at the San Fernando Courthouse, capping a case that shocked the entertainment industry. Fox 43 reported that Pasqual was convicted of at least four felonies, including attempted murder, forcible rape, and first-degree residential burglary.
Shehorn survived the brutal early-morning attack in May 2024, but not without cost. She endured 14 hours of emergency surgery and was left with permanent injuries, including partial vision loss and reduced feeling in her hands — damage that has affected her career as a makeup artist. "When I was lying on the floor in a pool of my own blood, I remembered wondering if this was how my life was going to end," Shehorn told the court.
A 4 AM Break-In Followed by 20 Stab Wounds
At 4:30 AM on May 23, 2024, Pasqual broke into Shehorn's home in Sunland, California. He stabbed her more than 20 times — in the neck, chest, back, abdomen, arms, and wrists — while she was in bed, according to WUSA9. Shehorn's friend Christine White discovered her bleeding out and applied pressure to her wounds until paramedics arrived. White is widely credited with saving her life.
Just five days before the attack, Pasqual had been arrested for domestic violence against Shehorn and released on a $50,000 bond, according to WKYC. Shehorn had also filed a restraining order against him. Advocacy groups later pointed to Pasqual's documented history of strangulation as a red flag that was not acted upon before the near-fatal stabbing.
Pasqual Fled Toward Mexico Before His Arrest
After the attack, Pasqual did not stay in California. He fled east. U.S. Border Patrol detained him on May 27, 2024, at a checkpoint in Sierra Blanca, Texas, as he attempted to cross into Mexico, according to KVUE. The cross-country flight required coordination between local law enforcement and federal agents to bring him into custody.
At trial, the flight to the border was used to show Pasqual's state of mind after the attack. Prosecutors argued his behavior — including a recorded jailhouse phone call in which he allegedly mocked Shehorn's ordeal — showed he was not the remorseful man his defense portrayed. The sentencing judge directly questioned the sincerity of Pasqual's in-court apology because of that call, according to News Center Maine.
Shehorn Faced $150,000 in Medical Bills After the Attack
Shehorn's road to recovery was long and expensive. Friends and colleagues launched a GoFundMe campaign that raised roughly $116,617 of a $150,000 goal to cover her surgeries and ICU stay, according to WZZM 13. The permanent damage to her hands has directly limited her ability to work in the career she built over years in Hollywood, where she earned credits on films like *Babylon* and *Mean Girls*.
On June 1, 2026 — one day before sentencing — Shehorn filed a civil lawsuit against Pasqual seeking compensatory and punitive damages for sexual battery, negligence, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, according to WCNC. The criminal conviction sets up a strong foundation for that civil case to move forward.
DA Says Sentence Holds Pasqual Accountable for Betrayal of Trust
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman released a statement after sentencing. "Today's 32-year-to-life sentence holds Nick Pasqual accountable for the horrific crimes he committed against someone who once loved and trusted him," Hochman said, according to KSDK. Pasqual, 36, and Shehorn, 35, had met on the set of the film *Rebel Moon* in 2023.
Through representatives, Pasqual said he remained "deeply saddened" and focused on "sobriety, recovery, [and] accountability," according to Fox 61. The case has prompted broader questions in Hollywood about how the industry vets background actors and minor cast members who may have violent histories. Pasqual had small roles in *How I Met Your Mother* and *Archive 81* before his arrest.
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