ben pasternak was arrested in Manhattan on Tuesday after prosecutors said he assaulted his ex-girlfriend, influencer Evelyn Ha, inside a luxury hotel on West 53rd Street. The case centers on allegations that the 26-year-old entrepreneur strangled Ha after she tried to record him on her phone at the Baccarat Hotel. Pasternak is also facing separate investor claims tied to his crypto venture, Believe, adding pressure around the high-profile founder.
Allegations from the hotel encounter
Manhattan prosecutors said Pasternak was staying at the Midtown hotel while trying to avoid being served with a lawsuit connected to Believe, his token creation and trading platform. A criminal complaint says he allegedly squeezed Ha’s neck with both hands, leaving her with redness on her neck, throat pain, and difficulty breathing. The complaint also says he slammed a door on her several times, causing bruising to both arms and both sides of her hips.
ben pasternak pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to felony second-degree strangulation and misdemeanor assault. He was released on his own recognizance after prosecutors sought $30, 000 bail.
What Pasternak and Ha are saying
Pasternak has denied the charges and said Ha was the aggressor. His spokeswoman, Dini von Mueffling, said Ha “flew into a rage” and “attacked” Pasternak during the hotel encounter. She also said, “Throughout their relationship, Evelyn physically attacked Ben, ” and added, “She was emotionally and physically abusive, very jealous, and threatened him if he ever dared leave the relationship. ”
Ha gave a different account in a video posted Thursday, saying she left the relationship for her own safety. “There were serious boundaries that were crossed, and I decided to move away from that relationship for the sake of my safety and my wellbeing, ” she said. Ha added that she was spending time with friends and family and taking things “day by day, hour by hour. ”
Ben Pasternak and the broader legal backdrop
ben pasternak is best known as the founder of Simulate, a plant-based chicken nugget company that was once valued at $250 million. The company was sold in 2024. Separate from the criminal case, investors Joshua Lee and Pierre Montmeas filed a suit in Manhattan federal court on March 23, claiming they lost nearly everything after the value of coins bought through Believe was allegedly diluted.
The timing makes the criminal case especially sensitive, with one matter unfolding in state court and another moving through federal litigation. For now, the immediate focus remains on the hotel confrontation, the charges, and the next steps in both the criminal case and the investor dispute tied to ben pasternak.
