This article mentions domestic violence. Please read with caution.
In 2022, then-26-year-old Courtney Clenney was arrested and accused of stabbing and killing her boyfriend, Christian “Toby” Obumseli. Two years later, Obumseli’s murder had not yet gone to trial, but in Jan. 2024, Clenney’s parents were arrested in connection with the case.
On April 3, 2022, Miami police responded to a domestic violence call at the residence of Courtney Clenney, an OnlyFans model who had around two million Instagram followers. When law enforcement arrived, they found that Toby Obumseli had suffered a stab wound, and he was taken to a nearby hospital, where he later died. In August of that year, Clenney was arrested in Hawaii and charged with second-degree murder, USA Today reported. Clenney said she acted in self-defense, and she pleaded not guilty.
Clenney said she threw the knife that killed her boyfriend from a distance of about 10 feet, and only meant to scare him. However, a medical examiner said Obumseli’s wounds could not have been caused by a knife thrown from that far away. According to Clenney’s lawyer, Frank Prieto, “Obumseli attacked her and choked her that evening. Courtney had no choice but to meet force with force.”
Video evidence
After Christian Obumseli died, police body cam footage later emerged of Courtney Clenney days before Obumseli was killed. In it, the model seeks help from Miami officers regarding another domestic violence incident involving her boyfriend, according to WSVN.com. “I want a restraining order against Christian Obumseli,” she said.
Meanwhile, a video shared by CBS News showed Clenney acting erratically and striking Obumseli in a heated argument months earlier. Referring to the footage, Obsumseli family lawyer Kimberly Wald said, “Domestic violence can happen against a man. And it happens against a larger man. It does happen and men are victims. And Christian was a victim” (via CBS News).
Clenney’s parents were charged with accessing unauthorized evidence
About two years after Courtney Clenney’s arrest, Clenney’s parents — Kim and Deborah Clenney — were arrested in their home state, Texas, and charged with accessing unauthorized evidence. The charges stem from a group chat between Clenney’s parents and her attorney about cracking Christian Obumseli’s laptop’s PIN, which they had in their possession, NBC News reported. Courtney reportedly gave the device to her parents.
After their arrest, Kim and Deborah were held for a short time in Texas before they were released. As for Clenney, she was seen in court on Thurs. Feb 1, 2024, during which a judge announced a gag order in the high-profile case, according to CBS News. Referencing the computer, the Obumseli family lawyer, Larry Handfield, said, “We believe it’s incriminating evidence, and it goes to a cover-up which [the Obumselis have] always believed.”
If you are experiencing domestic abuse, or if you believe someone you know is being abused, contact The National Domestic Violence Hotline. The hotline can be reached at 1-800-799-SAFE or spoken with online via the hotline’s website. Mobile phone owners can also text “START” to the number 88788.