Courtney Clenney, an Instagram model accused of fatally stabbing her cryptocurrency trader boyfriend, Christian Obumseli, is requesting to present evidence to jurors that she claims proves she acted in self-defense. Her trial for second-degree murder is scheduled to begin next month in Miami.
Clenney's attorneys filed a motion this week seeking to introduce medical records, text messages, eyewitness testimony, police bodycam footage, and security reports. They argue this evidence supports her claim that Obumseli's death on April 3, 2022, inside their luxury Miami apartment was an act of self-preservation.
The defense plans to present testimony from domestic violence experts and text messages that they contend demonstrate an abusive relationship. One text message from April 2021 reportedly shows Clenney accusing Obumseli of hitting her, to which he responded that he was only trying to move her hand and did not mean to cause harm.
Witnesses may also testify to observing interactions between the couple or seeing Clenney with visible injuries, according to the motion. Police bodycam footage captured a blood-covered Clenney at the scene, cradling Obumseli and expressing distress. She told officers she was "terrified of him" and "so scared," stating she was trying to save him and that he was her "other half."
Clenney, who used the name Courtney Tailor on platforms like Instagram and OnlyFans, has acknowledged killing Obumseli but maintains it was in self-defense. She previously told investigators that Obumseli had pushed and thrown her to the floor, leading her to grab a knife and throw it from approximately ten feet away. However, the medical examiner's findings indicated that the wound could not have been caused by a knife thrown from that distance.
Clenney has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and faces a minimum of 16 and a half years to life in prison if convicted. She has been held without bond while awaiting trial. The exact date has not yet been set, but it is expected to begin the third week of August.
Obumseli's family attorneys have rejected the self-defense claim, asserting that he was the victim of domestic violence perpetrated by Clenney. Separately, Clenney's parents, Kim and Deborah Clenney, were previously taken into custody for allegedly breaking into Obumseli's apartment to retrieve his computer, though they were later released. State prosecutors had attempted to access Kim Clenney's iCloud account for messages related to the laptop, but a judge ruled in June 2024 that this violated attorney-client privilege.