Since then, Courtney has maintained that she acted in self-defense, with her attorney Frank Prieto reiterating the claim in a statement to E! News after her arrest.
“Obumseli attacked her and choked her that evening; Courtney had no choice but to meet force with force,” the lawyer said at the time. “There is no doubt the two of them had a tumultuous relationship; moreover, there is evidence that Courtney was a victim of physical, emotional, and mental abuse at the hands of Obumseli.”
He added, “Courtney was clearly defending herself. We will vigorously defend Courtney and clear her of this unfounded and baseless charge.”
Christian’s family and legal team, however, have argued otherwise.
In an April 2022 interview with Rolling Stone, the Obumseli family’s attorney Larry Handfield alleged the attack was “unprovoked,” while Christian’s brother Jeffrey Obumseli said in an Aug. 2022 statement on InstAgram that his brother was “unarmed when Clenney brutally stabbed him in the chest from behind.”
(E! News and NBC News are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)