Former MMA fighter B.J. Penn was arrested for the third time in a span of just six days on Friday, after which he was again released on bail.
This most recent arrest stemmed from Penn failing to appear in court, a violation of his previous bail agreement. That agreement was put in place after he had been taken into custody on two separate occasions earlier in the week for alleged abuse of a family or household member. His failure to appear led to a bench warrant being issued for his arrest.
Having incurred two bail violations from the prior arrests, Penn was ultimately released from custody once more after posting a $2,000 bond.
Penn reportedly sought to have the bench warrant rescinded, claiming he had missed his court date because he was ill with COVID. The judge, however, evidently disagreed, resulting in his subsequent arrest.
In a separate legal development, a judge also rejected Penn’s request for a restraining order against his mother, Lorraine Shin. The denial was based on the judge`s finding that Penn`s allegations “do not establish a basis for relief.” This is the second time a judge has refused Penn`s attempt to obtain a restraining order against his mother, following disturbing social media posts by Penn where he claimed several family members had been murdered and replaced by imposters.
While Penn`s request was denied, his mother successfully obtained a temporary restraining order against her son. This order requires him to maintain a distance of at least 100 feet from her at all times, after she provided a detailed account of what she described as “extreme psychological abuse” inflicted upon her by Penn.
In her initial court filing, Shin alleged multiple instances of Penn lashing out against her in recent weeks. These included claims that he put glue in a lock on her door, preventing her from entering her bedroom, and that he allegedly stole her mail. The alleged mail theft reportedly led to an altercation that resulted in one of his arrests.
In her statement to the court, Shin further claimed that Penn used a bright flashlight to temporarily blind her, attempting to stop her from contacting police after she spotted her mail in the back seat of a vehicle driven by one of her son’s friends. When she attempted to retrieve the mail, Shin alleges Penn grabbed her arms and pushed her against the car, causing her to call out for help from her other son, Reagan Penn.
“I believe my son [B.J. Penn] is suffering from Capgras delusional syndrome,” Shin told police when filing for the restraining order. She explained this is “a psychiatric disorder in which a person holds a delusion that a friend, spouse, parent, other close family member has been replaced by an identical imposter.” She added, “He believes I’m an imposter who has killed his family to gain control of the family assets.”
Concluding her statement, she requested, “In the best interest for my safety, I ask the court for a six-month [temporary restraining order] and have my son ordered to get medical treatment or other source of therapy.”
The judge granted the temporary restraining order, setting the next court date for June 10.
The 46-year-old Penn has fueled concerns about his mental health through numerous social media posts claiming his family members have been murdered and replaced by imposters. The UFC legend also shared a video showing his initial arrest last Sunday, which marked the first of his three detentions in under a week.
