Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
MIAMI, FLORIDA: The anticipated trial of Courtney Clenney, an OnlyFans model accused of murdering her boyfriend, Christian Obumseli, is set to take place as her defense attorneys work diligently to prove her innocence. Clenney faces second-degree murder charges for the fatal stabbing of Christian, which occurred on April 3, 2022, in their Miami apartment.
Her attorneys expressed their confidence that the case will proceed to trial in an interview, sharing that they have informed the judge at a recent hearing about anticipating being ready for trial either by the end of this year or the beginning of 2024. "We absolutely will be going to trial," said Sabrina Puglisi, one of Clenney's attorneys, claiming, "There's not even a question. Courtney is innocent, and she will have her day in court."
'He was an abuser, he was an animal'
While awaiting trial, Clenney has been facing additional legal challenges. The father of her deceased boyfriend filed a negligence lawsuit against her, seeking damage compensations of over $50,000 under Florida's Wrongful Death Act, which includes expenses for pain and suffering, past and future loss of support and services, medical care, and funeral arrangement. Despite a Wrongful Death lawsuit filed against Clenney, her attorneys assert that Clenney was the victim in their relationship, aiming to highlight a pattern of domestic violence within the couple's relationship.
They argue that previously released evidence, including elevator surveillance footage capturing an argument between the couple, supports their defense. Frank Prieto, another attorney representing Clenney, referred to a recorded police interview in which a neighbor approached the officer at the crime scene, unsolicited, to report that Christian had allegedly assaulted Clenney on a balcony the previous day. "They saw it from their balcony, they felt they needed to get involved and that is a critical piece of evidence," said Prieto. "Mr. Obumseli, though the family would like to paint him as a docile individual, a peaceful man, that is absurd. He was an abuser, he was an animal," Prieto stated, as reported by Radar Online.
'She had to defend herself'
Meanwhile, Puglisi noted that the conversation only offers a brief snapshot of the relationship, saying, "At the end of the day, it doesn't tell you whether he attacked her on the date of the incident. It doesn't talk about how he choked her and threw her to the ground and how she told him to stay away from her and he still charged at her and she had to defend herself," as per CourtTV.
Attorneys of the accused claimed that days before the unfateful situation, Clenney had come forward about the alleged abuse, seeking help. "It's an ugly conversation, but what you don't see is that he gaslights her before these conversations," Prieto said. "That was his M.O. and in a letter written to Courtney, he acknowledges the abuse by gaslighting her." "We are mounting a vigorous defense for Courtney. Many defense witnesses that will testify she was the victim of domestic violence and that the actions she took were to save her own life," Prieto added.
Clenney, who gained substantial earnings from her OnlyFans platform, has been in pre-trial detention since her arrest in 2022. As she remains incarcerated in a Miami-Dade Jail, her legal team anticipates that the trial will commence by the end of this year. Jeffrey Obumseli, the brother of the deceased, issued a statement asserting their belief that Clenney was at fault for his brother's death. "We have every reason to believe that his death was the result of unwarranted and unprovoked violence. We want to see that justice is served," the statement read, adding, "With family, you may not agree with every action or statement made, but it is my duty to zealously fight for my brother. No family should have to go through what we are experiencing."
