The former “How I Met Your Mother” actor faces a possible life sentence at a June hearing.
LOS ANGELES — Actor Nick Pasqual was convicted Friday of attempted murder and other felony counts in the 2024 stabbing of his estranged girlfriend, Hollywood makeup artist Allie Shehorn, inside her Sunland home after a Los Angeles trial.
The verdict ended the trial phase of a case that drew attention because of the violence of the attack, the couple’s prior relationship and Shehorn’s work in film makeup. Jurors found Pasqual guilty of attempted murder, first-degree residential burglary with a person present, injuring a partner and related counts. His sentencing is scheduled for June 2.
Pasqual, 36, had pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors said he broke into Shehorn’s home at about 4:30 a.m. on May 23, 2024, days after she had obtained a restraining order. Shehorn survived after being stabbed more than 20 times and later testified with visible scars on her arm and neck. “He just started punching holes in that door,” Shehorn said in testimony describing the moments before the attack. She told jurors she ran to a bathroom because she thought another locked door might stop him.
The jury also found special allegations true, including that Pasqual caused great bodily injury under circumstances involving domestic violence and used a deadly weapon. Court reporting showed he also was convicted of forcible rape tied to an earlier incident, along with three counts of injuring a spouse, cohabitant, fiancé, boyfriend, girlfriend or child’s parent. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office had said in its original 2024 charging announcement that Pasqual was accused of attacking Shehorn after recently being the subject of a restraining order.
After the stabbing, Pasqual fled California, authorities said. He was later detained at a U.S.-Mexico border checkpoint in Sierra Blanca, Texas, and returned to Los Angeles County to face charges. The original arrest warrant was issued May 24, 2024, with bail set at $1.075 million. The case was investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department. At the time charges were filed, prosecutors said Shehorn had been hospitalized with critical injuries.
Shehorn, a Hollywood makeup and special effects artist, has worked on productions including “Rebel Moon,” “Babylon” and “Mean Girls.” Friends said after the attack that she underwent extensive surgery and spent days in intensive care. Her recovery later became part of the public record through court testimony and updates shared by people close to her. Reports after the verdict said she has returned to work since the attack, adding new film credits while the criminal case moved toward trial.
Pasqual had small acting credits before the case, including an appearance in a 2011 episode of “How I Met Your Mother.” He also had credits connected to projects such as “Rebel Moon,” “Archive 81” and “Poor Paul.” The case shifted attention from his acting background to the criminal charges, with prosecutors presenting the attack as an act of intimate partner violence that followed a deteriorating relationship.
The conviction means the case now moves to sentencing. Pasqual faces a possible maximum sentence of life in state prison. The June 2 hearing is expected to determine his prison term and may include statements about the attack’s impact. Court filings or sentencing arguments may also address the jury’s special findings, his prior conduct and the injuries Shehorn suffered.
By Saturday, Pasqual had been convicted of all major counts reported from the trial, and Shehorn had testified about the attack that nearly killed her. The next major step is sentencing in Los Angeles on June 2.
Author note: Last updated May 9, 2026.