The mother of former UFC champion B.J. Penn has filed for a restraining order against the Hall of Fame fighter, telling a court that she believes her son suffers from a rare psychological disorder known as Capgras syndrome.
While a judge has yet to rule on this specific restraining order request, it comes shortly after Penn, 46, was arrested on charges of abuse of a family or household member in his home state of Hawaii.
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According to court documents obtained by MMA Fighting, Penn’s mother, Lorraine Shin, alleges that she has endured “extreme psychological abuse” at the hands of her son. Shin claims that Penn has accused her of being an imposter who “killed his family” and assumed his mother’s identity.
“I believe my son [B.J. Penn] is suffering from Capgras delusional syndrome (a psychiatric disorder in which a person holds a delusion that a friend, spouse, parent, other close family member has been replaced by an identical imposter),” Shin wrote in a statement provided to authorities. “He believes I’m an imposter who has killed his family to gain control of the family assets.”
Capgras syndrome is a rare psychological disorder that often causes people to falsely believe that those close to them are imposters masquerading as family or friends. While there is no single known cause, brain injuries and neurodegenerative diseases are believed to be among the potential mitigating factors, along with schizophrenia or other mental health conditions.
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In Shin’s request for a restraining order, she alleges a disturbing pattern of behavior from Penn. After returning from a trip earlier this month, Shin said, she noticed that many of her belongings “such as clothes, shoes, jewelry, personal items” and even her bed had all been removed from her bedroom. Shin filed a police report after Penn denied taking the items, she said, and a few days later her purse “with my driver’s license, credit card and locks for my safe” were also stolen.
Shin said she then put up security cameras inside and outside the home, while also installing a deadbolt lock on her bedroom door. According to Shin, Penn took down or tampered with the cameras and “also put glue into my dead bolts that stopped me from opening my bedroom door.”
On Monday, Penn posted a video to his Instagram page showing him being arrested by police officers. Court records indicate that Penn was arrested on Sunday, May 25, and then again on Monday, May 26, both times on charges of abuse of a family or household member.
In the caption to the video, Penn wrote: “In Hawaii, ‘imposter theft’ refers to instances where individuals falsely impersonate others, often to steal their identity or commit fraudulent acts. This can involve using a fake identity to obtain documents, financial accounts, or even posing as law enforcement or other professionals to commit crimes.”
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Penn has made multiple social media posts in recent months alleging that his family has been murdered and replaced by imposters. A video posted on May 17 shows Penn arguing with a woman who appears to be Shin, accusing her of being an “identity thief” who is not actually his mother.
Penn last fought in the UFC in May 2019, suffering a seventh consecutive loss. He was expected to have at least one more fight in the promotion, but was later released by the UFC after video surfaced showing Penn in a street fight outside a Hawaii bar.
“He won’t fight again. That’s it. That’s a wrap,” UFC CEO Dana White said in 2019. “It’s not even that this was the last straw. I didn’t love him continuing to fight anyway. But when you have the relationship that he and I have, and he’s getting me on the phone begging me for another fight, begging me for another opportunity, it’s hard for me to turn him down. But after what I saw on that video, B.J. needs to focus on his personal life and get himself together before he thinks about fighting again.”
Penn has several pending legal cases in Hawaii, including a civil suit and a separate restraining order. Shin has asked the court for a six-month temporary restraining order against Penn, as well as court-ordered “medical treatment or other source of therapy” for her son. A judge has yet to rule on the request.