'Love Island USA' Alum Cashel Barnett Charged with Domestic Violence in Utah for Allegedly Assaulting the Mother of His Child
Cashel Barnett was arrested in Salt Lake City, Utah on Monday, May 19
He faces charges of assault, aggravated assault and domestic violence in the presence of a child
Barnett's lawyer said that after the reality star found out about an arrest warrant in his name, he "retained counsel" and "surrendered" in Utah's Third District CourtLove Island USA alum Cashel Barnett has been put behind bars.
Barnett, 34, was arrested in Salt Lake City, Utah on Monday, May 19 on charges including assault, aggravated assault and domestic violence in the presence of a child, according to arrest records viewed by PEOPLE.
This comes after an arrest warrant was issued by a judge for The Challenge: USA star's arrest on May 12. The reality star's former partner reportedly told authorities that she would be at risk of being killed if he wasn't detained and that he had previously threatened her life, according to Entertainment Weekly and NBC News.
Barnett's attorney Andrew K. Deesing did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on the matter.
Deesing told EW that "upon finding out about the arrest warrant,' Barnett 'immediately retained counsel and then surrendered on the arrest warrant in Utah's Third District Court first thing" on Monday morning.
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The TV star is next scheduled in court for a detention hearing on Thursday, May 22. Deesing said, "We are obviously in the very early stages here and won't have any comment until after that hearing on Thursday.'
The charges were brought after Barnett's former partner filed a police report on April 25 alleging that the Love Island star assaulted her on April 10 during an argument in front of their child. She claimed in the report, per EW and NBC News, that she tried to calm Barnett down by hugging him.
However, she alleged that Barnett slapped her arms away and then followed her to a bedroom, where he picked her up by her neck with both hands and slammed her onto the bed. She claimed in the report, per NBC News, that he had put "continuous pressure" on her neck and that she "was unable to breathe and her vision went blurry."
The woman also claimed that he had 'slapped' her in the face during another instance in their argument and told her, 'You're fine.'
Following the incident, she alleged in the police report that she experienced "difficulty breathing, a raspy voice, coughing, trouble swallowing, neck pain, nausea, vomiting, agitation, amnesia, memory loss, visual changes' and a 'headache.'
The aggravated assault and domestic violence charges were presented on May 9, per EW.
Barnett is best known for appearing in the first season of Love Island USA, which premiered in 2019. He later went on to star in The Challenge: USA in 2022. According to his Instagram page, he currently works as a drummer in a band.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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Clark testified she had to undergo five days of lie detector tests to prove she hadn't stolen jewelry and was repeatedly told by the test administrator that if she was caught lying, "they're going to throw you in the East River." But Agnifilo emphasized that Clark testified she went home after the lie detector tests every day. "It's not a kidnapping," he said, before pointing out that the jurors had spent hours watching the trial for the last seven weeks. "Anyone feel kidnapped?" The second alleged incident was in 2011. Clark testified that Combs came to her home with a gun and brought her to Kid Cudi's house, but Agnifilo emphasized that Kid Cudi testified Clark did not mention any guns when she called him and Cassie Ventura that day. 'Had Capricorn said 'gun,' Cudi would've remembered 'gun.' You're not gonna forget 'gun,'' Agnifilo argued. He also reiterated his earlier point that Clark, like most of Combs's employees, loved working for him and would willingly do anything for him. 'If he asked her to take a trip to the moon, she'd go, and he knows that. He doesn't need a gun." Moments after conceding his client was "guilty" of assaulting Cassie Ventura, Combs's lawyer Marc Agnifilo called Ventura a "gangster" for using a burner phone to contact Kid Cudi while she was seeing both men. 'Cassie's keeping it gangster!' Agnifilo said. "She played them both.' During her relationship with Kid Cudi, Ventura repeatedly lied to Combs, Agnifilo said, arguing that it showed she was "not afraid of him." Marc Agnifilo, Combs's defense attorney, used part of his closing argument to mock the raids on Combs's homes. In its indictment, the prosecut said that federal agents recovered guns, drugs and 'more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant.' 'Boxes of Astroglide, taken off the streets, whoo! I feel better already,' Agnifilo said. 'Thank goodness for the special response team," he added. "They found the Astroglide, they found the baby oil, they found like five valium pills. Way to go, fellas.' Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo argued to the jury that Cassie Ventura is not part of a "one-sided, oppressive" relationship with Combs, as the prosecution argued, but ultimately the financial "winner" of the breakup. "She is sitting somewhere in the world with $30 million," Agnifilo said. Ventura won a $20 million civil settlement from Combs after filing a lawsuit against him in November 2023, and is expecting a $10 million settlement from the owner of the InterContinental hotel where she was assaulted by Combs in 2016. Agnifilo called Combs and Ventura's relationship 'a great modern love story,' and said that this case isn't about crime. "We're here because of money," he said. In his closing argument, Marc Agnifilo acknowledged that Combs is "guilty" of domestic violence, but that's not what he's been charged with. Multiple women, including Combs's ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, testified that he beat them repeatedly. And a key piece of evidence for prosecutors was a surveillance video that showed Combs assaulting Ventura in the hallway of a Los Angeles hotel. "We own the domestic violence — I hope you guys know that," Agnifilo said. 'It happened. That's not charged. 'He did not do the things he's charged with,' Agnifilo said. 'He didn't commit racketeering — he just didn't.' The lawyer added: 'He did what he did. But he's going to fight to the death to defend himself from what he didn't do.' Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo argued that Combs's employees were loyal to him because 'Sean Combs has become something that is very, very hard to be. Very hard to be. He is a self-made, successful, Black entrepreneur.' Even though multiple former employees have testified in the trial, Agnifilo argued Combs had been integrating DEI — diversity, equity and inclusion — into his businesses since he was 24 years old. 'Did they always like him? No way. Let's not even go there,' Agnifilo said about the former employees. 'But they loved him. They didn't want to leave him.' Marc Agnifilo, Combs's lead attorney, began his closing argument by telling jurors that the case presented by federal prosecutors was "false" and "exaggerated." Agnifilo said the evidence does not show criminal behavior but rather 'a lifestyle — you want to call it swingers.' 'Whatever you want to call it, that's what it is," Agnifilo said. "That's what the evidence shows." Judge Arun Subramanian is on the bench, members of the jury have been seated, and Combs's lead attorney, Marc Agnifilo, is delivering the closing argument for the defense. Combs's sister, Keisha Combs, is sitting with their mom, Janice Combs, in the family section of the courtroom. Combs's three teenage daughters, Chance and twins D'Lila and Jessie, are also in the spectators' gallery. The defense will deliver its closing argument to the jury at 9 a.m. ET. Combs's lead attorney, Marc Agnifilo, said he expects his presentation to take about three hours. The prosecution — which took nearly five hours to deliver its closing argument — will have a chance to give a rebuttal. Judge Arun Subramanian will then give the jury its instructions. Subramanian said the jury will determine its own schedule for deliberations, which could begin as soon as Friday afternoon. The prosecution delivered a lengthy closing argument. For nearly five hours, Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik told jurors how Combs operated as the "leader of a criminal enterprise," using "power, violence and fear" to force women to participate in drug-fueled marathon sexual encounters called 'freak offs.' Slavik said Combs exhibited a "pattern" of coercion, using money, drugs and threats to control his victims, including former girlfriends Cassie Ventura and a woman identified by the pseudonym "Jane." The prosecutor recounted their harrowing testimony detailing years of physical abuse and sexual assault. Slavik outlined the five counts Combs faces, including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. 'Up until today, the defendant was able to get away with these crimes because of his money, his power, his influence. That stops now,' Slavik said. 'It's time to hold him accountable. It's time for justice. And it's time to find him guilty." Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik wrapped up the prosecution's closing argument around 4:30 p.m. ET after nearly five hours. Court was adjourned for the day. Slavik thanked jurors for paying attention over the last seven weeks. 'You heard how the defendant ran his criminal enterprise with total control and with the loyal assistance of his inner circle," Slavik said. 'Up until today, the defendant was able to get away with these crimes because of his money, his power, his influence. That stops now. "It is time to hold him accountable; it is time for justice," she continued. "And it's time to find him guilty." In addition to Ventura and "Jane," U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik told jurors that "Mia," Combs's former assistant who testified under a pseudonym, was a victim of forced labor. Slavik recounted Mia's testimony about the abuse she says she endured from Combs. Mia told the court that Combs physically and sexually assaulted her multiple times during her employment. 'He sexually assaulted Mia when Cassie and his other girlfriends were not around,' Slavik said. The prosecutor argued that Combs had 'all the power and control,' often threatening Mia's job. Mia also testified that she witnessed Combs become violent with Ventura. 'Mia saw and experienced extreme violence at her boss's hands,' Slavik said. 'It's no wonder she was always worried about her physical safety if she was to tell him no.' Prosecutor Christy Slavik told the jury that Combs forced Cassie Ventura and "Jane" into days-long sexual activities without any sleep. Both women testified that Combs forced them to have sex with multiple men, multiple times over the course of several days. They said they were given drugs like Ecstasy and MDMA to keep them awake. "They got sores, they got sick, they got infections," Slavik said, noting that both women testified they were still told they had to have sex even when they hadn't recovered from infections. "These nights were labor and services. ... This was work." Judge Arun Subramanian and the jury have returned to the courtroom. The court has taken a 15-minute break. Prosecutors indicated that their closing arguments would take another hour when court resumes.
