‘How I Met Your Mother’ Actor Sentenced to 32 Years to Life After Stabbing Ex-Girlfriend Makeup Artist More Than 20 Times
"How I Met Your Mother" actor Nick Pasqual has been sentenced 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 in a 2024 knife attack at her Los Angeles home.
Los Angeles County prosecutors said Pasqual, 36, received the indeterminate sentence on Tuesday after a judge followed jury recommendations stemming from his May 8 conviction. He will serve at least 32 years before becoming eligible for parole, effectively making it a life term under California law for the domestic assault.
Authorities said the case was prosecuted as attempted murder with domestic violence and great bodily injury enhancements because of the severity of Shehorn's injuries. Court filings show that before the attack, Shehorn had sought a restraining order against Pasqual, accusing him of abusing her during their relationship, according to People.
Pasqual, whose credits include small roles in "How I Met Your Mother" and "Archive 81," was found guilty of attempted murder, forcible rape, first‑degree residential burglary with a person present and injuring a cohabitant or dating partner.
Jurors also found true allegations that he personally used a knife and inflicted great bodily injury during a domestic violence crime, which substantially increased his possible sentence. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said these findings reflected the premeditated and extreme nature of the violence.
Prosecutors said the attack occurred around 4:30 a.m. on May 23, 2024, when Pasqual broke into Shehorn's Sunland‑area home through a back entrance while she was sleeping, Entertainment Weekly reported.
He then stabbed her repeatedly, inflicting more than 20 wounds that left her in critical condition and requiring emergency surgery and an extended hospital stay. Friends later organized fundraisers to help pay her medical expenses as she underwent multiple procedures and intensive rehabilitation.
In court, Shehorn said that shortly before the stabbing, she and Pasqual had been involved in a violent altercation that led to their breakup.
After the stabbing, Pasqual fled California and was arrested days later at a U.S.–Mexico border checkpoint in Texas after authorities issued alerts for his vehicle. He was extradited to Los Angeles County to face charges and remained in custody throughout the proceedings.
During sentencing, Shehorn and her supporters described ongoing physical pain, psychological trauma, and fear stemming from the attack, urging the court to impose the harshest penalty allowed, as per ABC7.
Originally published on Lawyer Herald
