Actor Nick Pasqual, known for his role on How I Met Your Mother, was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday for stabbing his award-winning make-up artist ex-girlfriend more than 20 times during a home break-in in the Los Angeles area. Judge Hayden Zackey called the 36-year-old actor “as bad as it gets” and “an insult to society” as the court gallery erupted in applause.
The Attack and Trial
Pasqual attacked Allie Shehorn inside her Sunland, California, home in May 2024. He was found guilty last month of attempted murder, forcible rape, and domestic violence, among other charges. The judge noted that Pasqual could have faced the death sentence, saying “Ali’s will to survive saved his life.”
Victim's Impact Statement
Shehorn, 37, addressed Pasqual in tears before sentencing. She described lying on the floor in a pool of blood after the attack, wondering if she would ever become a mother. She explained that she had to wrap a belt around her own neck and pull it tight to stop the bleeding before paramedics arrived. She now wears her scars as a badge of honor and called Pasqual “a coward.”
Pasqual asked to address the court, with those in attendance gasping. He said, “This weighs heavily on me. This is a burden that I will carry the rest of my life.” He added that he was “thankful she’s still alive” and that he focuses on sobriety and remorse. After the sentencing, Shehorn told The California Post that she didn’t “believe a word” Pasqual said.
Background of Abuse
Shehorn had filed a restraining order against Pasqual after a violent fight. In the order, she accused him of using a belt, breaking down doors, leaving her with a concussion, and raping and choking her. Pasqual had allegedly attacked her at least four times before the stabbing.
After the attack, Pasqual fled to the border and was arrested trying to cross into Mexico in Sierra Blanca, Texas, on May 30, 2024.
Shehorn's Career and Recovery
Shehorn won “Best SFX Makeup” at the Hollywood Blood Horror Festival for her work on Incorrigible a year before the attack. She has also worked on films including Rebel Moon: Part One and Babylon. After recovering, she returned to the makeup industry and has nine credits since 2025.
This story originally appeared on NY Post and is republished here with permission.
