Courtney Clenney, known online as Courtney Tailor, was by all accounts a successful OnlyFans model. Behind the scenes, she was in an on-again, off-again relationship that turned deadly in April 2022.
Police were called to the condo she shared with boyfriend Christian Obumseli, 27, on April 3 for a domestic dispute. They found Obumseli bleeding due to a stab wound that happened during an altercation the couple was having. He died after he was transported to the Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center in Miami for care.
It wasn’t until August of that year that Clenney was arrested for the fatal stabbing on charges of second-degree murder. Four years after her arrest in Hawaii, she’s set to go in front of a judge to finalize a plea deal. Ahead of Clenney’s plea hearing on August 10, here’s what we know about her background and her connection to the death of her boyfriend.
Who Is Courtney Clenney?
Courtney Clenney was born on April 21, 1996, in Midland, Texas, according to her IMDB. She moved to Austin with her family at age 7. She was an aspiring actor from a young age and has worked in commercials and as a movie extra, most notably with a small appearance in 2016’s Everybody Wants Some as “Sorority Girl #1.”
Clenney, now 30, was an OnlyFans model who had amassed a social media following of nearly 2 million on Instagram and had a major income stream from OnlyFans. On the platforms, she was known as Courtney Tailor. In 2020, Clenney earned $900,000 from her OnlyFans and more than $1.8 million in 2021.
That changed in 2022 when her boyfriend died after being stabbed during what the Miami-Dade police described as a physical altercation between the two.
After the stabbing, her lawyer and detectives working on the case had her “Baker Acted,” a Florida law that allows for involuntary admission to a mental health facility for treatment.
She was arrested in Hawaii on August 10, 2022, where she was in rehab for substance abuse and PTSD. The then-26-year-old was taken into custody by the United States Marshals carrying out an arrest warrant issued by Miami-Dade County, Florida, for murder in the second degree with a deadly weapon. She was eventually extradited to Florida and has been held in the Miami-Dade jail since August 2022, according to Local 10.
Why Is Courtney Clenney Accused of Killing Her Boyfriend?
Clenney and her boyfriend Christian Obumseli had been dating for less than two years when he was killed in 2022, and their relationship was filled with multiple domestic abuse allegations. She was previously arrested for domestic battery in Las Vegas and police had been called to the pair’s home in Austin multiple times, according to the Miami Herald.
By 2022, the pair had moved from Texas to a Miami condo and had broken up and gotten back together multiple times. Their fighting in Miami was so loud that the building was allegedly working to evict them. Her lawyer at the time, Frank Prieto, claims she kicked Obumseli out of the apartment due to allegations of domestic abuse a week before the stabbing, according to People. The night of April 1, 2022, police were called to their apartment complex for a domestic disturbance and Clenney was recorded claiming Obumseli had been stalking her and asking officers how to get a restraining order, according to the Miami Herald. “I have not always been a victim, but like right now I am the victim in this situation,” she said.
However, Obumseli was never arrested in connection with the incident.
“It was clearly a toxic relationship, (they) had their ups and downs and, unfortunately, it culminated with his death,” Prieto said, according to CBS News.
On April 3, 2022, Obumseli was found suffering from a knife wound after police were called to the condo to investigate a domestic violence call. Clenney placed the 911 call. He died while being transported to the hospital, the Miami Police Department confirmed in a statement.
“The preliminary investigation determined that both Mr. Obumseli and the female had been involved in a physical altercation,” the 2022 statement read.
What Has Courtney Clenney Said About the Allegations?
During questioning, Clenney claimed she threw the knife at Obumseli from 10 feet away after he threw her to the ground in a domestic dispute, according to Newsweek. However, the Miami-Dade medical examiner ruled Obumseli’s death was a homicide caused by a knife that punctured three inches downward into his shoulder and couldn’t have been caused by a knife thrown from a distance, according to People.
Clenney’s lawyer has argued she acted in self-defense and that Obumseli’s death wasn’t a crime. “This was not a crime. Courtney is innocent, she acted in self-defense and there should be no files charged in this case,” Frank Prieto, her lawyer, said during a press conference, according to CBS Miami.
Recent court filings suggest that if the case had gone to trial, her lawyers would present a battered spouse syndrome defense, outlining texts, fights, and injuries they allege she suffered when the couple was in various places, including Miami, Dubai, and Austin, according to Fox 7 Austin.
However, Obumseli’s family disagrees with the notion Clenney acted in self-defense.
"We have no cause to believe that this was a case of self-defense," Karen Egbuna, Obumseli's cousin, said during a press conference, according to CBS Miami.
In 2022, prosecutors also released footage of Clenney attacking Obumseli in a private elevator in February of that year. She is seen punching him several times in the face and head and hitting him on the back and arms. Obumseli tries to push her back and away from him but is not seen striking back.
And Miami-Dade State Attorney Kathy Rundle said during a press conference the suspect's two-year-long relationship with Obumseli was "violent and toxic," according to People.
Where Is Courtney Clenney Now?
Prosecutors alleged that the money she made from social media, including OnlyFans, made her a flight risk. She has been held in the Miami-Dade jail since her 2022 arrest.
Clenney initially pleaded not guilty, and her lawyers argued she acted in self-defense during what turned out to be a deadly domestic dispute.
A plea deal has been reached to avoid trial, though the details are not yet known. Obumseli’s family’s attorney made this statement, according to CBS:
“On behalf of the Obumseli family, I am pleased to announce that Defendant Courtney Clenney, the State, and the Obumseli family have reached a resolution that would avoid an unnecessary trial. The resolution will be made public at a sentencing hearing on August 10 at 10 a.m. Pleading guilty and accepting full responsibility will begin the process of bringing closure to a very tragic, life-changing event for the Obumseli family.”
Her sentencing hearing is set for August 10 before Judge Andrea Ricker Wolfson.
Check back with Biography.com for updates.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or go to thehotline.org.
Jordan Smith is a freelance writer, editor, and author with 10 years of experience reporting on health and fitness news and trends. She's also an ISSA certified running coach, and is passionate about making fitness accessible to all. You can find her work in publications including Runner's World, SELF, Prose, Vital Proteins, and more. The Philadelphia-based writer has yet to meet a workout class she doesn't like and can be found exploring the robust Philly food scene, hiking with her three dogs, and chronicling her attempt at tackling her endless TBR.
