A temporary restraining order has been issued against former UFC champion B.J. Penn in Hawaii. This action was taken after his mother filed for protective measures following two separate arrests involving the mixed martial arts veteran.
Lorraine Shin, Penn`s mother, submitted the request for the restraining order on Tuesday. In her filing, she cited “extreme psychological abuse,” stating that Penn claims she is an imposter who “killed his family” and assumed his mother`s identity.
Judge Jeffrey Ng granted the temporary restraining order, which according to online court records, was served to Penn on Tuesday. The order will remain active for a minimum of 180 days, and Penn is scheduled for a full court hearing on June 10 regarding the matter.
Under the terms of the order, Penn must maintain a distance of at least 100 feet from his mother while the protection is in effect. He is also prohibited from being within 100 yards of any location where his mother resides or works.
The temporary restraining order also requires Penn`s mandatory attendance at the June court hearing. He is strictly forbidden from “threaten[ing], physical[ly] abus[ing] or psychologic[ally] abus[ing]” the petitioner, his mother. Furthermore, he is not allowed to “contact, write, telephone or otherwise electronically contact” his mother or anyone living at her residence.
Any violation of this restraining order is classified as a misdemeanor offense. This could potentially result in penalties including up to one year in jail and/or a fine up to $1,000.
Shin pursued the restraining order after Penn was arrested on consecutive days this past Sunday and Monday. The charges involved abuse of a family or household member.
In the documentation supporting her request, Shin described disturbing incidents. She claimed that upon returning home from a trip, she discovered all her personal belongings had been removed from her bedroom. Penn reportedly denied any involvement in the missing property. A few days later, Shin alleged her purse was stolen from a safe, prompting her to file a theft report with the police.
Shin subsequently installed a lock on her bedroom door and security cameras around the house. However, she claims Penn removed the cameras and applied glue to her deadbolts, preventing her from opening her bedroom door.
Just last weekend, Shin told law enforcement that she returned from another trip only to find that Penn had allegedly covered her security cameras with duct tape and again glued the deadbolt lock on her bedroom door to block her entry. She later accused Penn of stealing her mail. When she reportedly found the mail in the back of a vehicle belonging to one of her son`s friends, she claims the 46-year-old former fighter denied it was her mail, grabbed her arms, and shoved her against the car. This confrontation led her to scream for help from her other son, Reagan Penn.
Penn was ultimately arrested following this incident and instructed to stay away from his mother for the subsequent 48 hours. However, Shin asserted he returned to the home and provided video evidence to the police, which resulted in Penn`s second arrest in as many days.
When filing for the restraining order, Shin informed police, “I believe my son [B.J. Penn] is suffering from Capgras delusional syndrome,” explaining it as a psychiatric disorder where a person holds the delusion that a 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.”
Shin`s petition concluded with a plea for her safety: “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.”
Penn himself has consistently posted troubling content on social media, asserting that his family is deceased and replaced by imposters. He also shared a video online showing his initial arrest this past Sunday.
Widely recognized as one of mixed martial arts` greatest fighters, Penn last competed in the UFC in 2019. He remains a notable figure, being one of a select group of athletes to have held championship belts in two different divisions (welterweight and lightweight) during his career.
