UFC star BJ Penn accused of domestic violence

Former UFC champion BJ Penn of Hawaii reportedly terrorized his estranged girlfriend in front of their two daughters and threatened to kill her family, according to a court statement that alleges a 10-year history of intimidation and physical, sexual and verbal abuse.

Shealen Uaiwa described a series of disturbing incidents involving Penn in a handwritten statement submitted to Hilo Family Court to justify a temporary restraining order that was issued in October, according to a report by mmajunkie.com.

Attorneys for Uaiwa and Penn, whose legal name is Jay Dee Penn, did not respond to Honolulu Star- Advertiser requests for comment. One of Penn’s lawyers, John Schmidtke Jr. of Honolulu, told mmajunkie.com the court records were “incomplete” and that he was prevented “by law” from commenting further.

The 40-year-old Big Island fighter, an early icon of the sport in its fledgling years, came out of retirement in 2017. The former UFC welterweight and lightweight champion — considered “one of the greatest of all time,” according to the UFC website — lost his last six fights and is scheduled to face Clay Guida at UFC 237 in Rio De Janeiro on May 11.

UFC has not issued a statement on Penn’s situation. The MMA promotion company has previously allowed fighters accused of domestic violence to return to the octagon in the absence of formal criminal charges.

Uaiwa’s allegations against Penn coincide with another high-profile domestic abuse case involving Hawaii’s MMA community.

Fighter Arnold Berdon last month pleaded no contest to second-degree assault for beating his wife, fellow fighter Rachael Ostovich Berdon. Ostovich Berdon filed for a temporary restraining order against her husband in November, alleging he punched her in the head, ribs and face, fracturing her eye socket, after a night out with family.

His sentencing is scheduled for May 16.

In Penn’s case, Hawaii Judiciary records show that during an Oct. 23 hearing on Uaiwa’s petition for an order for protection, the fighter’s attorney, Charles Heaukulani of Hilo, asked that the proceedings remain confidential. Judge Darien Ching Nagata denied the request.

The order for protection was granted and is in effect until Oct. 8, 2021.

During a Feb. 25 hearing, Schmidtke asked that the order be dismissed or at least that Penn’s two children be removed from the order, the records show. His request was denied.

Uaiwa’s handwritten statement, obtained by mmajunkie.com, details an Oct. 7 incident in which she alleges that while attempting to pick up her daughters, Penn came to her car and used profanity to threaten and harass Uaiwa and her mother. She said Penn was making it hard for them to get out of the driveway, “like he wanted to attack me and my mother through the window.”

Penn also reportedly told her that “because you’re not a man you think you can’t get knocked the f—- out,” according to her statement.

The entire incident was witnessed by their two daughters, who also saw Penn “trying to wrestle me down and take my phone away,” she said.

Uaiwa was granted a temporary restraining order against Penn two days later, according to court records.

Her statement also alleges incidents of violence, rage, sexual abuse, drunkenness and drug use by the MMA fighter and other turmoil during their 10-year relationship, including instances when Penn tried to get her to have sex with other men. Some of the events were witnessed by members of their families, Uaiwa said.

Among her claims are that Penn hit her in the back of the head and “back-handed” her when he was intoxicated, and tried to get her to smoke marijuana. Uaiwa said Penn has been a drug addict since the age of 14 and used his training camps to “stay sober.”

On the night of Penn’s induction into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2015, Uaiwa said in her statement, he “got drunk, attacked me in the room to try and get my phone. He shattered my phone (and verbally) abused me all night long. Him and his friends did cocaine in the bathroom all night, while me and my children were in the room and his niece and Aunty were in the living room.”

The woman said she is fearful for her own safety and for the lives of her children, the oldest of whom has expressed suicidal thoughts.

“I have not reported any of these incidents because of his name, reputation, the control he has had over my life and I was scared,” her statement reads.

Hawaii County police investigated Penn in 2016 for an alleged sexual assault against the girlfriend of a man employed by the fighter’s website. No charges were filed.

In 2005, Penn was charged with first-degree assault for punching a police officer outside a Waikiki nightclub. In a 2007 plea agreement with prosecutors, he pleaded no contest to third-degree assault and was sentenced to a $2,000 fine and 50 hours of community service.