Former ‘How I Met Your Mother’ Star Sentenced to Decades in Prison: Shocking Legal Outcome Revealed

Nick Pasqual, known for his role in “How I Met Your Mother,” received a life sentence on Tuesday following a vicious assault on his ex-girlfriend. The actor’s shocking crime involved stabbing Allie Shehorn, a distinguished special-effects makeup artist, more than 20 times at her home in Southern California.

Last month, Pasqual, aged 36, was found guilty of several felony charges, including attempted murder, forcible rape, and domestic violence. These charges stem from the horrifying attack that took place in May 2024 at Shehorn’s residence in Sunland, California.

During the sentencing, Judge Hayden Zackey delivered a strong condemnation of Pasqual’s actions while handing down the life sentence. The courtroom was reportedly filled with applause from onlookers as the verdict was declared, marking a dramatic conclusion to the case.

During Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, Judge Hayden Zackey imposed a life sentence and delivered a blistering assessment of Pasqual’s conduct. 

According to reports from the courtroom, spectators applauded as the sentence was announced.

The judge described the attack as exceptionally violent and told Pasqual that he represented one of the worst offenders to come before the court. 

Zackey also remarked that Pasqual had narrowly avoided a possible death sentence, saying Shehorn’s determination to stay alive ultimately spared him from that outcome.

‘I’ve never seen a person more hellbent on terrorizing another person,’ Zackey told the defendant, adding, ‘To call you a human being is an insult to society.’

Former actor Nick Pasqual was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of attempting to murder his ex-girlfriend, award-winning makeup artist Allie Shehorn, during a 2024 attack 

Shehorn, pictured in 2024,  told the court how she fought to survive after being stabbed more than 20 times, using a belt to slow the bleeding before paramedics arrived. The scars of the attack can still be seen

Pasqual starred in one episode of How I Met Your Mother, in 2011, named ‘Field Trip’

Before the sentence was handed down, Shehorn addressed the court in an emotional victim impact statement. 

Wearing a red dress that exposed the scars left by the assault, the 37-year-old recounted the terrifying moments after she was attacked.

She told the court she remembered lying in a pool of blood and wondering whether she would ever have the opportunity to become a mother.

Shehorn said she used a belt as a makeshift tourniquet around her neck in an effort to slow the bleeding until emergency responders arrived.

Despite the lasting physical reminders of the attack, she said she now views her scars as symbols of survival and referred to Pasqual as ‘a coward.’

The courtroom reacted audibly when Pasqual requested an opportunity to speak.

‘This weighs heavily on me,’ he said. ‘This is a burden that I will carry the rest of my life.’

Pasqual also told the court he was grateful Shehorn survived and said he remained focused on sobriety and remorse.

Following the hearing, however, Shehorn told The California Post that she did not believe his statements were sincere.

Shehorn said her ex subjected her to ‘controlling, coercive, threatening, and physically violent conduct’ during their relationship, claiming the abuse had escalated over time

She spent over a week in the hospital where she almost died from her stab wounds 

Shehorn said she had survived the stabbing after undergoing emergency surgery and intensive medical treatment but was left with permanent injuries, emotional trauma, and ongoing medical expenses

 The sentencing came weeks after Shehorn testified about what she described as a pattern of abusive and threatening behavior during their relationship. 

She previously obtained a restraining order after a violent altercation led to their breakup.

She told how in 2024 that he hit her with a belt on January 29, breaking down several doors in their home on March 6 and raping and choking her on April 14. 

After they broke up, Pasqual broke into her home and stabbed her dozens of times. 

In the aftermath of the May 2024 attack, Shehorn was discovered by a woman, Christine White, whom she considers a surrogate mother and was rushed to hospital, where doctors performed multiple surgeries.

A GoFundMe, which was set up to help Shehorn cope with her mounting medical bills at the time, wrote that White ‘acted fast when she found Allie bleeding out’, a move that ‘saved her life.’ 

White said in 2024: ‘This is not the kind of thing that should happen to anybody. You don’t think this is ever going to happen to you.

‘I found her and I had to go into the bedroom where it happened,’ she said. ‘That wasn’t a pretty sight.’ 

Medical records presented during the case showed she suffered severe wounds to her neck along with injuries to her arms and abdomen. 

She spent nearly a week in intensive care as doctors worked to save her life.

Authorities said Pasqual fled California following the stabbing and was arrested days later near the US-Mexico border in Sierra Blanca, Texas, while allegedly attempting to leave the country.

Court filings also alleged the actor had assaulted Shehorn on multiple occasions before the stabbing.

The estranged couple are pictured together

Pasqual is seen here on a red carpet in 2009

In documents supporting her restraining order request, Shehorn accused Pasqual of a series of violent acts, including using a belt as a weapon, forcing his way through doors, causing a concussion, and sexually and physically assaulting her.

Before the attack changed her life, Shehorn had built a successful career in the film industry. 

In 2023, she earned the Best SFX Makeup award at the Hollywood Blood Horror Festival for her work on Incorrigible.

Her resume also includes credits on major productions such as Mean Girls, Rebel Moon: Part One and Babylon.

After a lengthy recovery, Shehorn returned to work and resumed her career in the makeup industry. Since 2025, she has added nine additional credits to her name..  

Pasqual appeared on one episode of How I Met Your Mother in 2011 and was also the producer on the comedy series National Day Riff.

The actor has previous convictions, including a July 2013 DUI and another from February 2014.