Photograph Illustration by The Every day Beast/Getty/Instagram
Over a yr earlier than Courtney Clenney killed her boyfriend throughout a home dispute, Christian Obumseli despatched her a textual content message claiming she had stabbed him so badly within the leg that he couldn’t stroll.
The following day, the 27-year-old Black man despatched his girlfriend, an OnlyFans influencer with a whole bunch of 1000's of followers, one other damning textual content message alleging that he had been hit within the head so many instances throughout an argument—and with such drive—that he felt like he sustained a concussion.
Regardless of these documented cases of the connection going sideways, the couple stayed collectively, with Obumseli generally even providing an apology—together with after the 26-year-old white girl he was courting uttered a racial slur.
“Is love going to kill me?” Obumseli texted Clenney on Feb. 28, 2022, in keeping with messages obtained by The Every day Beast and first reported by the Miami Herald. “February was the worst month I had to date. I obtained cheated on. I obtained referred to as that phrase once more. I obtained slapped in my stitches that has [sic] re-opened a number of instances and it’s not therapeutic quick sufficient. I’ve gotten kicked out.”
The Miami State Legal professional’s Workplace alleges that a couple of month after Obumseli despatched Clenney that textual content, the mannequin stabbed her boyfriend within the coronary heart throughout an argument inside their Twenty second-floor apartment on the One Paraiso.
On the time of the April 3 incident, Clenney advised a 911 operator that Obumseli “has a stab wound on his shoulder.” Throughout a police interview, she advised cops she had thrown a knife at her boyfriend from no less than 10 ft away. A medical expert would later conclude that Obumseli suffered a “stab wound to the chest… and that the knife punctured the subclavian artery.”
Clenney has pleaded not responsible to second-degree homicide in Miami, the place she awaits trial. Her legal professionals, who've maintained that she is a sufferer of home abuse, declare that the killing was an act of self-defense.
Prosecutors plan to argue that Clenney was the first aggressor in her relationship with Obumseli—and are set to make use of his cellphone knowledge to show it to a jury. The Every day Beast beforehand reported that Obumseli had recorded a few of their arguments earlier than she killed him, together with no less than one wherein she could be heard utilizing a vile slur.
“You’re a n-----. I would like you to get away from me,” Clenney yelled in a single five-minute recording, as beforehand reported by The Every day Beast. In a number of movies, that are often obstructed by Obumseli’s cellphone or hand, he's heard apparently making an attempt to de-escalate the state of affairs and apologize.
However the newly launched textual content messages quantity to recent proof that the deadly incident didn't come out of anyplace. The Miami State Legal professional’s Workplace has additionally launched pictures of two deep wounds Obumseli suffered in late January to The Every day Beast, together with photographs exhibiting cuts to his cheek and chin that had been so extreme that textual content messages indicated Obumseli went to the hospital for stitches.
Larry Handfield, an legal professional for Obumseli’s household, advised the Herald that the newly launched texts and pictures counsel Clenney “terrorized his life” and “demonstrated a sample of violence.” He additionally stated the household was planning to file a wrongful loss of life civil lawsuit towards the Instagram Influencer. In a press release to The Every day Beast on Thursday, Clenney’s legal professionals slammed the discharge of proof of their shopper's case—insisting that it was “a one-sided snapshot in time.”
“It’s not the entire story. It’s lacking context. Essentially the most sensational items of proof are being cherry-picked by reporters, with out correct context, to feed the general public’s curiosity with this case,” legal professional Frank Prieto and his authorized staff stated. “What is evident to us is that the proof exhibits the acute feelings and dysfunction of a relationship off the rails.”
Clenney’s staff argued that whereas they had been “piecing collectively all the proof” for trial, it needs to be famous that a majority of the data launched on this case have been from Obumseli’s cellphone—and the case needs to be centered on what occurred in April.
“That is in regards to the motion she took that day to avoid wasting her personal life,” the authorized staff added. “It’s not about recordings, textual content messages, or earlier fights. Courtney is the sufferer of home violence and we imagine she was failed by the system as she repeatedly requested for assist. The actions Courtney took that day to defend herself had been justified. She was in worry for her life.”
In textual content messages from October 2021, when the couple nonetheless lived in Texas, the 2 argued after Clenney apparently took Obumseli’s cellphone. Throughout their alternate—which came about as soon as Obumseli had his cellphone again—he claimed that the day prior, Clenney had stabbed him within the leg and he “couldn’t fucking stroll.”
“I nonetheless gave you a very good day regardless that my leg was hurting as a result of my girlfriend stabbed me,” Obumseli stated in an Oct. 9, 2021, textual content, including that he didn't make her “really feel like shit for stabbing” him.
The following day, Obumseli repeatedly texted Clenney to open a door, claiming that at one level she hit him “within the fucking face with a cellphone then proceed[d] to hit the again of my head with the cellphone.”
“I’m bleeding. Throwing up—suppose I obtained a light concussion and have nervousness,” he wrote. “I slept within the restroom for 2 hours and I’m simply misplaced past phrases.”
Simply minutes later, Clenney texted again: “I’m sorry for hitting you within the face and the again of your head and spitting on you. Is that proper? No. You simply Piss me tf off, however nonetheless love you.”
Clenney did finally apologize for the altercation and for not responding to his messages whereas he was “in ache,” including that she didn't understand he “might need a light concussion.”
Months later, Obumseli and Clenney had one other textual content message alternate after they'd moved into the posh Miami apartment. The pair appeared to have had one other argument, prompting Clenney to finally textual content Obumseli: “Hopefully this will provide you with time to consider your actions.”
“Benefit from the hospital,” she added in a Jan. 30, 2022, textual content. “Inform them your facet then I’ll inform them what occurred.”
Images present that Obumseli sustained two deep cuts to the face and was going to the hospital for stitches. However Obumseli texted Clenney again insisting that he “just isn't saying something” and as an alternative will say he obtained the cuts from a “soccer incident.”
Texts present that Obumseli continued to message Clenney that night, asking her to come back to see him and revealing that he was scared. In a single textual content, he famous that he obtained stabbed “a number of instances.” The following day, Clenney apologized for not visiting him on the hospital, including “I really feel excessive remorse, unhappiness, and humiliation, and I'm so, so sorry for hurting you.”
In Feb. 28, 2022, messages, a little bit over a month earlier than his loss of life, Obumseli despatched his girlfriend a protracted textual content discussing the state of their relationship—and the truth that Clenney had referred to as him a racial slur.
“Your boyfriend is Black and also you’re calling him that,” he says.