UPDATED 8/11, 7:32 p.m. ET: Newly released video shows Courtney Clenney assaulting her late boyfriend Christian Obumseli.
According to Local 10 News, the disturbing moment took place in a private elevator in February, less than two months before Obumseli was fatally stabbed. Surveillance footage shows a visibly frustrated Clenney enter the elevator and begin smashing smashing the buttons with her hands. Obumseli comes in moments later and seemingly tries to calm her down. Clenney begins attacking Obumseli by hitting his head and pulling his hair.
Though Obumseli is seen holding Clenney down and pushing her back, sources tell Local 10 News “the video clearly shows Clenney as the aggressor.” Lawyers say the footage helps prove there was a pattern of abuse before Obumseli’s murder.
“What you saw in the elevator was just an isolated glimpse of a pattern of conduct that was demonstrated by the defendant in this case,” Larry Handfield, a lawyer representing Obumseli’s family, said Thursday.
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OnlyFans model Courtney Clenney has been arrested and charged with murder.
According the Miami Herald, the 26-year-old influencer was taken into custody Wednesday following a four-month investigation into the death of Christian “Toby” Obumseli. Authorities say 26-year-old Clenney, who has amassed a large following on Instagram and OnlyFans, fatally stabbed her 27-year-old boyfriend on April 3 during a domestic dispute in their Miami apartment.
Clenney was arrested in Hawaii and is now awaiting extradition to Miami-Dade County, where she will face trial for second-degree murder. Her attorney Frank Prieto said she was at a rehab facility at the time of her detainment. Clenney was reportedly receiving treatment for substance abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder.
“I’m completely shocked, especially since we were cooperating with the investigation and offered to voluntarily surrender her if she were charged,” Prieto told the Herald. “We look forward to clearing her name in court.”
Investigators say Obumseli, a 27-year-old Black cryptocurrency investor, had been living in Miami for just a few months prior to his death. He and Clenney had reportedly been dating for less than two years.
According to the Herald, the two are believed to have had a tumultuous relationship. Clenney was reportedly arrested in Las Vegas for domestic battery, and the two were involved in domestic abuse cases in both Florida and Texas.
Police say they received a frantic call from Clenney at about 5 p.m. on April 3. She reportedly told authorities she and Obumseli were fighting when he suddenly grabbed her by the throat, prompting her to stab him in self defense. Police arrived at the scene shortly after, and found the man with a single stab wound to his chest. He was immediately transported to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Obumseli’s friends and family blasted the police for failing to charge Clenney immediately after the incident. They also raised doubts about Clenney’s self defense claims.
“The family just wants accountability,” Larry Handfield, attorney for the Obumseli family, told Yahoo News. “That’s all the family wants. … They were told that Courtney claimed self-defense and they believed her and there was no need for an investigation. The detective reached his conclusion in less than 24 hours from reporting to the scene. That is totally inappropriate and something that should never happen.”
He continued, “I believe that if she was Black, she would have been arrested and [police would have] let the process play itself out. But since she was treated with privilege, she has not been arrested.”
