HIMYM Actor Nick Pasqual Guilty of Attempted Murder

Nick Pasqual, an actor best known for his appearance on How I Met Your Mother, was convicted Friday of attempted murder and five additional counts stemming from a brutal 2024 attack on his ex-girlfriend, Hollywood makeup artist Allie Shehorn. A Los Angeles jury found him guilty on every charge he faced — and he now faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison.

The verdict came after a trial that ran from April 27 to May 8. Pasqual, 36, had pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Beyond the attempted murder conviction, jurors found two special allegations to be true: that the attack caused great bodily injury under circumstances involving domestic violence, and that a deadly weapon was used. Pasqual was also convicted of three counts of injuring a spouse or partner, one count of first-degree residential burglary with a person present, and one count of forcible rape tied to an alleged incident that occurred a month before the stabbing. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 2 in Los Angeles.

What Happened the Night of the Attack

Prosecutors say Pasqual broke into Shehorn’s home in the Sunland neighborhood of Los Angeles at approximately 4:30 a.m. on May 23, 2024, and stabbed her more than 20 times. She suffered slash wounds to her neck, back, chest, and wrists. A friend, Christine White, found Shehorn and later told the Los Angeles Times, “I just told her to keep her hand on her throat to stop the bleeding.”

Shehorn was rushed to the hospital with critical injuries and underwent 14 hours of surgery, including procedures to repair severed tendons in her right arm and close wounds in her neck. She required breathing and feeding tubes during her recovery and spent more than a week in intensive care.

Pasqual had actually been arrested for domestic violence five days before the stabbing — on May 18, 2024 — and released on $50,000 bond. Shehorn’s friend Jed Dornoff told People at the time: “As soon as he paid his bail, he came after her.” Shehorn had also filed a restraining order against Pasqual in the days before the attack, alleging the relationship had turned physically and sexually abusive.

After the attack, Pasqual fled California. He was detained roughly a week later at a U.S.-Mexico border checkpoint in Sierra Blanca, Texas, and extradited back to Los Angeles.

Shehorn Took the Stand — Scars and All

Shehorn testified during the trial with the scars from that night still visible on her arms and neck. She described a violent fight with Pasqual that preceded their breakup — one that made clear the relationship had become dangerous long before the stabbing.

“I locked the door and he just started punching holes in that door and broke that open, and I just ran into the bathroom because I thought there’s another lock on that door,” she said from the witness stand.

Shehorn’s credits in Hollywood include makeup work on films like Babylon, Family Switch, Mean Girls, and Rebel Moon — which is, notably, also where she and Pasqual first met. He worked as a background actor on the Zack Snyder film; she was on the makeup team.

The Reaction From Shehorn’s Circle

Friends had launched a GoFundMe after the attack to help cover Shehorn’s mounting medical expenses. The day after the verdict, one of the organizers, Emily MacDonald, posted an update that captured what two years of waiting for justice had felt like.

“Yesterday, May 8, after more than two years of waiting, Nick was found guilty on all 6 counts, including first-degree attempted murder,” MacDonald wrote. “There are truly no words to fully express our gratitude to the two incredible Deputy District Attorneys, Sam and Chelsea, who worked tirelessly to bring Nick to justice. Their dedication, compassion, and persistence throughout this entire process meant more to us than we can say.”

“This verdict does not erase the trauma or the long road of recovery ahead, but it is an important step toward accountability and healing,” she added. “To everyone who has supported Allie through this journey — whether through donations, messages, prayers, or simply standing by us — thank you. Your support has carried us through some of the darkest moments of the last two years.”

Who Is Nick Pasqual?

Pasqual appeared as Ted’s architecture student Will in the How I Met Your Mother Season 7 episode “Field Trip” — a single-episode credit that became the most prominent name attached to him as the case unfolded. Beyond that, he had small roles in the Steve Jobs biopic Jobs (starring Ashton Kutcher), an uncredited part in Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire, roles in TV series including Archive 81, Gone, and One Dollar, and 46 episodes of the comedy web series National Day Riff. He also starred in the 2009 Mischa Barton film Homecoming.

Pasqual will be back in a Los Angeles courtroom on June 2. The maximum sentence he faces is life in state prison.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.