LOS ANGELES, CA — Actor Nick Pasqual was sentenced Tuesday to 32 years to life in prison for the attempted murder of his ex-girlfriend, Hollywood makeup artist Allie Shehorn, whom he stabbed more than 20 times at her Sunland home in May 2024.
Pasqual, 36, who appeared in an episode of “How I Met Your Mother,” was convicted last month on multiple felony counts including attempted murder, forcible rape, first-degree residential burglary and domestic violence charges. The sentencing at San Fernando Courthouse concluded a case that highlighted the deadly escalation of domestic violence, with Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman calling it a reminder that such abuse “can erupt into life-threatening violence.” Shehorn, 37, survived the brutal attack after undergoing 14 hours of emergency surgery and spending days in intensive care.
The attack occurred at approximately 4:30 a.m. on May 23, 2024, when Pasqual broke into Shehorn’s Sunland home and repeatedly stabbed her with a knife. During her emotional victim impact statement Tuesday, Shehorn addressed her attacker directly while wearing a red dress that exposed scars from the assault. “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,” she told the court. “You, who I had once trusted, decided my life was something that you could take away.” Shehorn testified that she used a belt as a makeshift tourniquet around her neck to slow the bleeding until paramedics arrived. Her friend and roommate Christine White discovered her lying in a pool of blood and called emergency services.
Judge Hayden Zackey delivered a harsh rebuke during sentencing, telling Pasqual he represented one of the worst offenders to come before the court. “I’ve never seen a person more hellbent on terrorizing another person,” Zackey said, according to courtroom reports. “To call you a human being is an insult to society.” The judge also referenced a recorded phone call Pasqual made to a friend in April, questioning the sincerity of his remorse. “You stated that you feel remorse for what occurred, but my response to you is, if that’s true, then why on April 29th during that phone call with your friend, did you mock Allie Shehorn for what she went through,” Zackey said. Medical evidence showed Shehorn’s injuries were so severe “that she was clinically dead twice,” the judge noted. Spectators in the courtroom applauded as the life sentence was announced.
Court documents revealed a pattern of escalating abuse throughout the relationship between Pasqual and Shehorn, who met on the set of Zack Snyder’s film “Rebel Moon” where he worked as a background actor and she as a makeup artist. Shehorn had filed a restraining order against Pasqual days before the attack, detailing previous acts of sexual and physical assault. In her testimony, she described violent incidents including Pasqual hitting her with a belt on January 29, 2024, breaking down doors in their home on March 6, and raping and choking her on April 14. She recounted one confrontation where she locked herself in a room: “I locked the door and he just started punching holes in that door and broke that open, and I just ran into the bathroom because I thought there’s another lock on that door.” Pasqual was initially arrested for domestic violence on May 18, 2024, and released on $50,000 bond before the stabbing occurred.
After the attack, Pasqual fled California and was detained at a border checkpoint in Sierra Blanca, Texas, while allegedly attempting to leave the country. He was extradited back to Los Angeles to face charges. The jury found him guilty of attempted murder, forcible rape, first-degree burglary with person present, and multiple counts of injuring a spouse or partner. Special allegations included that he inflicted great bodily injury under circumstances involving domestic violence and personally used a knife during the crime. Shehorn suffered severe wounds to her throat, back, chest, arms and wrists, requiring multiple surgeries and an extended stay in intensive care. She has since returned to work in the makeup industry, adding nine credits to her resume since 2025 after building a successful career that included work on “Mean Girls,” “Rebel Moon: Part One” and “Babylon.” In 2023, she earned the Best SFX Makeup award at the Hollywood Blood Horror Festival.
During the sentencing hearing, Pasqual requested an opportunity to address the court, prompting an audible reaction from spectators. “This weighs heavily on me,” he said. “This is a burden that I will carry the rest of my life.” He told the court he was grateful Shehorn survived and said he remained focused on sobriety and remorse. However, Shehorn later told The California Post that she did not believe his statements were sincere. Following the hearing, representatives for Pasqual issued a statement saying he “remains deeply saddened by everything surrounding this case” and continues to wish “healing and peace for everyone affected.” The statement added that he intends to remain “focused on sobriety, recovery, accountability, and a respectful appellate process moving forward.” Pasqual has previous convictions including DUI charges from July 2013 and February 2014.
Shehorn has also filed a civil lawsuit against Pasqual for sexual battery, assault and negligence, according to a 17-page complaint submitted last week in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The lawsuit echoes details from the criminal case and seeks damages for her ongoing medical expenses, emotional trauma and permanent injuries. District Attorney Hochman praised Shehorn’s courage in testifying against her abuser, stating that “her trial testimony was crucial in securing a guilty verdict so Mr. Pasqual could no longer be free to hurt anyone else.” Pasqual appeared in one episode of “How I Met Your Mother” in 2011 titled “Field Trip” and also produced the comedy series “National Day Riff.” The case now moves to the appellate process as Pasqual begins serving his sentence of 32 years to life in state prison.
