The Arrest and Charges
Ben Pasternak, a 26-year-old Australian entrepreneur, was arrested on Tuesday on charges of felony second-degree strangulation and misdemeanor assault following an alleged incident on March 31 at the Baccarat Hotel in Midtown Manhattan. According to the criminal complaint, he allegedly strangled his ex-girlfriend Evelyn Ha, a 27-year-old social media influencer, by squeezing her neck with both hands and slamming a door on her multiple times. Ha sought medical attention and reported redness to her neck, pain to her throat, difficulty breathing, and substantial bruising to both arms and both sides of her hips. Pasternak pleaded not guilty and was released on his own recognizance despite prosecutors requesting $30,000 bail.
The Victim's Account
Evelyn Ha, who has over 530,000 YouTube subscribers, disclosed details of the relationship and the incident. She stated in a YouTube video that she decided to leave Pasternak for her own safety, saying serious boundaries were crossed. Ha did not elaborate extensively on the specific incident but expressed that the situation was raw for her and she was spending time with family and friends to process the events. Her willingness to speak publicly about the assault came after the arrest made headlines.
Pasternak's Defense
Pasternak and his legal team deny the allegations. His attorney, Josh Kirshner, stated his client is innocent and claims his actions were limited to lawful self-defense and efforts to disengage from the encounter. His spokeswoman Dini von Mueffling contended that Ha was the aggressor, claiming she flew into a rage and attacked Pasternak, and that she had been emotionally and physically abusive throughout their relationship, exhibiting jealousy and making threats. Von Mueffling characterized the charges as unwarranted and said the complainant's account is inconsistent and unsupported by reliable corroboration.
Why He Was in the Hotel
Pasternak was reportedly staying at the expensive Baccarat Hotel, which costs $2,000 per night, to avoid being served with a lawsuit related to his cryptocurrency venture. Investors Joshua Lee and Pierre Montmeas filed suit on March 23 in Manhattan federal court alleging that Pasternak illegally diluted the value of cryptocurrency coins on his platform called Believe, causing consumers to lose nearly everything. Process servers finally tracked him down and served him with a summons on April 17, weeks after the alleged assault. He is due back in court on June 11 for the cryptocurrency case.
Business Background
Pasternak is a serial startup founder who dropped out of high school at 16 to focus on building companies and was living independently in a Hells Kitchen studio apartment by that age. His most prominent venture was Simulate, a plant-based chicken nugget company once valued at $250 million and dubbed the Tesla of Chicken. He sold Simulate in 2024. Beyond his vegan meat business, he founded Believe, a token creation and trading platform that has attracted investor allegations of fraud and mismanagement. 
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