OnlyFans model Courtney Clenney has been sentenced to six years in prison after she accepted a plea deal in the 2022 death of her boyfriend, Christian “Toby” Obumseli. While the case made plenty of headlines before she entered her plea, Clenney was already well known due to her popularity on social media.
Us breaks down what to know about Clenney, the fatal stabbing that led to her arrest and the abuse allegations her legal team had planned to bring to trial.
Courtney Clenney Had a Following on OnlyFans and Instagram
Before the killing, Clenney had a substantial online presence under the name Courtney Tailor. She had more than 2 million followers on Instagram and a popular OnlyFans account, where she rose to prominence as a content creator.
That existing fame is part of what drew such widespread public attention to the case when Obumseli’s death first made headlines in April 2022 — and part of what has kept the case in the spotlight through her four years of pretrial incarceration and her eventual plea agreement.
Courtney Clenney Fatally Stabbed Christian Obumseli in April 2022
Clenney was arrested just days after Obumseli was killed on April 3, 2022. An autopsy report revealed that he died from a single three-inch-deep stab wound to the chest that punctured his subclavian artery. The killing occurred inside the couple’s Miami high-rise apartment.
Clenney was formally charged with second-degree murder months later on August 10, 2022.
Courtney Clenney Claimed She Killed Christian Obumseli in Self-Defense
From the beginning, Clenney maintained that she killed Obumseli in self-defense, alleging that she threw a knife at him during an altercation in their apartment. She has also insisted that she never intended to kill him.
Her legal team had planned to take that argument to trial before the plea deal was reached, with a strategy centered on portraying Obumseli as the abuser in the relationship.
Courtney Clenney’s Legal Team Planned to Use Text Messages as Evidence of Abuse
Ahead of the trial, Clenney’s attorneys filed documents outlining alleged text exchanges between the couple that they said proved a pattern of abuse.
Clenney claimed Obumseli was abusive at least nine times over the course of their relationship, including allegedly punching her in the face and fracturing her ribs in the months before his death.
In one alleged April 2021 exchange cited in the filing and viewed by The New York Post, Clenney accused Obumseli of hitting her “in my face as hard as you could.” Obumseli allegedly downplayed the claim and responded that he was trying to move her hand and “really didn’t mean” to hit her.
Another alleged text from August 2021 accused Obumseli of “punching me in the back” and “attacking me” following another argument. Her lawyers argued the messages were sent immediately after the alleged attacks and corroborated Clenney’s account that the relationship was abusive.
“Obumseli repeatedly engaged in a pattern of physical violence, intimidation, threats, stalking, controlling behavior, coercive control, manipulation, and emotional abuse,” the court documents stated, per the outlet. “Courtney’s testimony will include numerous incidents in which Obumseli Struck, grabbed, shoved, restrained, choked and otherwise committed batteries against her.”
Courtney Clenney Alleged Multiple Specific Incidents of Violence
The filing detailed additional alleged incidents. Obumseli was accused of dislocating Clenney’s shoulder for the “fourth time” during a September 2021 argument about leaving a pool.
“As she reached for the doorknob with her right hand, Obumseli grabbed her left wrist and violently pulled her backward, causing her shoulder to dislocate,” the motion stated.
Clenney also alleged Obumseli fractured her ribs during an argument in Dubai in 2021 after she asked him not to smoke marijuana due to the country’s strict laws.
“Obumseli turned and walked toward the bathroom intending to smoke marijuana. Courtney touched his arm in an effort to turn him around and continue discussing the issue. Obumseli immediately shoved Courtney with such force that she fell onto her side,” the filing stated. “Courtney immediately believed that she had fractured her ribs but did not seek medical treatment while still in Dubai.”
She also claimed Obumseli grabbed her arm and injured her “right finger” during a January 2022 incident in Austin, Texas.
Christian Obumseli’s Family Disputed Courtney Clenney’s Version of Events
Obumseli’s family has consistently pushed back on the abuse allegations, saying Clenney was actually the aggressor in the relationship and that Christian was often the one subjected to abuse.
His loved ones filed a civil wrongful death lawsuit against Clenney in 2023, which was later dismissed with prejudice in March 2026 following a notice of settlement.
That dispute ultimately never played out in front of a jury because of the plea deal reached before trial.
Courtney Clenney and Her Parents Faced Computer-Crime Charges Ahead of Trial
Courtney’s parents, Kim and Deborah Clenney, were arrested in January 2024 for trying to access the victim’s laptop in the wake of his death.
However, the charges were ultimately dismissed by Judge Laura Shearan Cruz in February 2024 because prosecutors violated attorney-client privilege by reviewing the family’s text messages.
Courtney Clenney Was Sentenced After Accepting a Plea Deal
During a court hearing on August 10, 2026, prosecutors and Courtney’s attorneys revealed she had been charged with manslaughter with a deadly weapon as part of a plea deal. Prior to accepting the deal, Courtney had been facing a second-degree murder charge.
Judge Andrea Ricker Wolfson ultimately sentenced Courtney to six years behind bars with time served. Once she is released from prison, she will have to serve five years of probation.
Because she has already been incarcerated for four years since her 2022 arrest, Courtney is expected to be behind bars for about two more years. With credits, she could be released in just over a year and a half.
Christian Obumseli’s Mother Addressed the Court During Courtney Clenney’s Sentencing
After Courtney’s sentence was revealed, Obumseli’s mother, Chio Obumseli, addressed the courtroom.
“There is simply too much pain to put on paper,” she said, according to The Daily Mail. “Four years later there are still nights when I cannot sleep. I do not want Christian to be remembered only for how he died.”
“Christian was my son, everyone who knew Christian can attest that he was kindhearted, compassionate, friendly and respectful,” Chio continued. “Nothing can describe what it feels like for a mother to stand at the grave of her child.”
Chio said the family has “lived with the loss every day and waited for accountability” for the past four years.
“Today closes a legal chapter, but it certainly doesn’t close our grief. No sentence, no plea can bring back my son to me,” she concluded.
Courtney wiped tears from her eyes with a tissue as Chio delivered her statement, per the outlet.
This story was compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists.
