Entrepreneur Ben Pasternak Charged With Strangling Girlfriend in Manhattan Hotel

Ben Pasternak, a twenty-six-year-old entrepreneur behind a prominent plant-based food company, faces serious criminal charges regarding the alleged strangulation of his girlfriend.

Prosecutors state that the incident occurred inside a high-end suite at the Baccarat Hotel in Midtown Manhattan. The room reportedly cost two thousand dollars per night.

Authorities arrested Pasternak last Tuesday after he allegedly choked the twenty-seven-year-old influencer and repeatedly slammed a heavy door onto her.

Medical records indicate the victim suffered visible bruises and required immediate treatment for severe difficulty breathing following the assault.

A criminal complaint obtained by The New York Post details these allegations, which form the basis of the current investigation into the couple's volatile relationship.

Pasternak, an Australian national, maintains that his former partner was the primary aggressor throughout their time together. He claims she was emotionally abusive and physically threatening.

His representative, Dini von Mueffling, told reporters that Pasternak feared the woman was finally carrying out threats made during their relationship.

The spokesperson described the ex-partner as extremely jealous, noting that she threatened him if he ever attempted to leave the partnership.

In a video released Thursday, Evelyn Ha stated she had already walked away from the situation out of fear for her personal safety.

She explained that serious boundaries were crossed, leading her to end the relationship to protect her own wellbeing.

Court documents reviewed by The Daily Mail show Pasternak has been charged with one count of second-degree strangulation. He also faces one count of assault with intent to cause physical injury.

His legal team has entered a not guilty plea on all counts. Attorney Josh Kirshner insists his client is innocent.

Kirshner argued that the accuser's story lacks consistency and reliable evidence to support the prosecution's claims.

The case highlights the complex dynamics often present in high-profile relationships involving significant wealth and public attention.

We anticipate that the facts will ultimately reveal these charges to be entirely unwarranted," declared the defense, setting the tone for a high-stakes legal battle involving Ben Pasternak, the co-founder of the plant-based food enterprise Simulate. The criminal charges stem from a violent altercation that allegedly took place on March 31 within the confines of an upscale Manhattan hotel. According to a criminal complaint obtained by The Post, Pasternak reportedly became enraged after Evelyn Ha, the woman at the center of the incident, attempted to record him. The documents allege that he subsequently squeezed her neck with both hands. Ha stated that this act immediately caused redness to her neck, sharp pain in her throat, and severe difficulty breathing, compelling her to seek immediate medical care.

The severity of the alleged physical assault extends beyond the strangulation. The complaint further details that Pasternak allegedly slammed a door on Ha multiple times, resulting in substantial bruising to both of her arms and on both sides of her hips. Following the incident, Ha claimed she severed ties with Pasternak that very night, citing a profound fear for her safety. Pasternak was taken into custody weeks after the alleged event and was later released on his own recognizance, a decision made despite prosecutors' request for a bail amount of $30,000. In his defense, Pasternak has pleaded not guilty to one count of second-degree strangulation and one count of assault with intent to cause physical injury, maintaining that Ha was the aggressor throughout their relationship, including on the fateful night of the attack.

While Pasternak has remained silent on the matter in public forums, his spokesperson, von Mueffling, has vigorously denied the accusations. Describing herself as a longtime friend of the entrepreneur and a representative for survivors of sexual assault, von Mueffling issued a statement to People magazine asserting that Ha was the one who "flew into a rage" and attacked Pasternak that night. "Ben unilaterally denies the accusation Evelyn Ha has made against him," von Mueffling wrote, adding that the couple's relationship effectively ended on that night. In a separate communication to The New York Post, she emphasized that "Throughout their relationship, Evelyn physically attacked Ben," expressing gratitude that her client is no longer in physical danger despite the heartbreak of seeing his name smeared.

Legal representation for Pasternak, provided by lawyer Kirshner, characterized his client's actions during the incident as being "limited to lawful self-defense and efforts to disengage." Ha, a social media influencer with a massive following exceeding six million across various platforms, addressed the situation in a YouTube video posted to her more than 530,000 subscribers shortly after Pasternak's arrest. She described the situation as raw, noting she is currently spending time with friends and family, attempting to navigate the ordeal day by hour.

Complicating the narrative, it has been revealed that Pasternak was allegedly staying at the luxury New York hotel, where rooms command prices around $2,000 per night, in an effort to distance himself from separate financial allegations. The Post reports that he may have sought this location to avoid accusations that he defrauded investors in his cryptocurrency company, Believe. Court papers obtained by the outlet indicate that investors Joshua Lee and Pierre Montmeas filed a lawsuit on March 23 in Manhattan federal court, alleging that Pasternak illegally diluted the value of crypto coins sold on his platform. The plaintiffs wrote in their filing, "Consumers lost nearly everything." As of now, Pasternak has not responded to these financial allegations, but court records show that process servers eventually located him to serve a summons on April 17, weeks after the alleged physical altercation occurred.

Pasternak is scheduled to return to court for his case on June 11.

According to 2016 reports from The New York Post, he left high school to concentrate on building businesses full time.

He later co-founded Simulate, a company famous for its meme-style vegan chicken nuggets.

Axios noted that these nuggets earned the nickname the Tesla of Chicken in 2024.

The company once held a valuation of $250 million before Ahimsa Companies acquired it.

Simulate chose to sell rather than seek additional funding during a tough period for the plant-based meat market.

The Daily Mail has contacted Ha and Pasternak's spokeswoman von Mueffling to request a comment on these developments.