HIMYM Actor Sentenced to Life for Attacking Ex-Girlfriend

The entertainment world rarely confronts its own reckoning. But on Tuesday, June 2, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office confirmed that How I Met Your Mother alum Nick Pasqual received 32 years to life in prison after being found guilty of attempted murder, first-degree burglary, forcible rape, and injuring a spouse, cohabitant, fiancé, boyfriend, girlfriend, or a child’s parent.

The case centers on an attack in May 2024 against makeup artist Allie Shehorn, Pasqual’s ex-girlfriend. According to Shehorn’s testimony, the assault was brutal and terrifying. After breaking through her locked door—she recalled him punching holes through it—she ran to the bathroom seeking refuge. Shehorn claimed she was stabbed more than 20 times. She’d already taken out a restraining order against Pasqual after recognizing the relationship had turned abusive. None of that stopped what happened next.

What makes this story resonate beyond the headline is the human infrastructure that built around Shehorn’s recovery. Friends created a GoFundMe to cover medical expenses. A community showed up—in hospital rooms, courtrooms, and through donations. When the guilty verdict came down last month, GoFundMe organizer EmilyMacDonald wrote:“This verdict does not erase the trauma or the long road of recovery ahead, but it is an important step toward accountability and healing.”It’s a reminder that behind every crime statistic is a person rebuilding a life, and behind that person are people who choose to help.

Pasqual’s legal team has indicated they plan to appeal. In a statement, he expressed sadness about the case and said he remains“focused on sobriety, recovery, accountability, and a respectful appellate process moving forward.”For Shehorn and those who stood by her, the sentencing represents a legal closure—not healing, but accountability.

Pasqual was known for a small role in How I Met Your Mother’s season 7, where he played a character named Will. He also appeared in the films Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire and Jobs. None of that matters now. What matters is that a woman survived, got support, and saw the person who hurt her face consequences.