Ben Pasternak Pleads Not Guilty to Felony Strangulation After March 31 Hotel Fight
Updated
Updated · Business Insider · May 11
Ben Pasternak Pleads Not Guilty to Felony Strangulation After March 31 Hotel Fight
2 articles · Updated · Business Insider · May 11
Summary
Three weeks after a March 31 breakup fight at Manhattan’s Baccarat Hotel, 26-year-old Ben Pasternak pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor assault and felony strangulation and was released without bail.
Prosecutors say the violence began when Evelyn Ha, 27, filmed the argument on her phone; they allege Pasternak lunged for the device, scratched her, strangled her twice, pushed her down and slammed a bathroom door on her.
Ha gave police video of the incident, prosecutors said, and the court ordered Pasternak to comply with a restraining order; he is due back on June 11 to learn whether he has been indicted.
Pasternak says he acted in self-defense and denied strangling Ha, while his lawyer and publicist say she had physically attacked him during the relationship.
The case has spilled across social media: Ha’s posts drew more than 1 million views, Pasternak’s response neared 600,000, and the criminal case is unfolding alongside a 41-page fraud lawsuit over his crypto venture.