Mixed martial arts icon BJ Penn has been taken into custody under suspicion of abusing a family or household member. The former UFC lightweight and welterweight titleholder has exhibited a troubling pattern of behavior in recent years, particularly visible on social media platforms.
Penn recently posted a series of unsettling messages online, claiming his mother, Lorraine Shin, and other relatives had been murdered and replaced by doppelgangers attempting to steal his wealth and possessions. These claims precede his arrest last Sunday for alleged “abuse of family or household member: offensive physical contact”.
According to records, the 46-year-old was released early Monday morning after posting a bail bond of £1484 (approximately $2000).
While Penn has not issued an official statement regarding the accusation, he did share a video on social media showing police attempting to arrest him in his bedroom.
The footage shows Penn in bed, questioning the officers about the reason for his arrest. Police informed him he was being arrested for harassment before attempting to remove him from the room. A seemingly confused Penn repeatedly inquired about the situation but was eventually escorted out of the house in handcuffs.
Penn has faced legal troubles multiple times in recent years. In 2019, his former girlfriend obtained a temporary restraining order against him, alleging verbal, physical, and sexual abuse during their decade-long relationship.
His recent interactions with law enforcement have been frequent enough that during his latest arrest, he reportedly asked the police, “Can we call an officer that I know?”
It has since come to light that the impetus for the Hall of Famer`s arrest was a restraining order request filed by his mother. The request, which awaits a judge`s decision, details what Shin describes as “extreme psychological abuse” over several months. She claims her son insists she is not Lorraine Shin, that she killed his family, and that she has assumed his mother`s identity and needs to be removed from his home.
Shin expressed her belief that Penn`s actions, amid various ongoing legal cases, may be a manifestation of Capgras delusion syndrome. An excerpt from her restraining order filing states: “I believe my son [B.J. Penn] is suffering from Capgras delusional syndrome (a psychiatric disorder in which a person holds a delusion that an identical imposter has replaced a friend, spouse, parent, other close family member).”
She further elaborated in the filing that he is convinced she is an imposter who murdered his family to seize control of family assets. For her safety, she requested the court issue a six-month temporary restraining order and mandate that her son undergo medical treatment or other forms of therapy.
Elton Marrow