An Australian entrepreneur, known for establishing a well-known vegan chicken nugget enterprise, finds himself entangled in serious accusations. Ben Pasternak, recognized for his startup Simulate which once boasted a valuation of $250 million, is at the center of allegations involving the assault of his social media influencer ex-girlfriend, Evelyn Ha, within a luxurious Manhattan hotel. This dramatic turn of events comes as Pasternak was reportedly evading legal troubles concerning his cryptocurrency firm, Believe.
The incident unfolded on March 31 inside the opulent Baccarat Hotel on West 53rd Street. Pasternak, aged 26, was reportedly staying at the $2,000-per-night Midtown establishment to dodge being served with a lawsuit tied to his crypto business. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has detailed claims that Pasternak assaulted Ha after she attempted to record him on her phone. Allegations include Pasternak strangling Ha, using both hands to compress her neck, which led her to seek medical help due to neck redness, throat pain, and breathing difficulties.
The accusations further extend to claims that Pasternak aggressively shut a door on Ha multiple times, resulting in significant bruising on her arms and hips, as detailed in court documents. Despite these serious allegations, Pasternak has denied the charges, asserting that the situation is misrepresented and that Ha, a 27-year-old Korean-American vlogger, was actually the one who acted aggressively.
Pasternak allegedly squeezed Ha’s neck with both hands, causing her to seek medical attention after experiencing “redness to her neck, pain to her throat, and difficulty breathing,” a criminal complaint states.
The baby-faced “meat” mogul also slammed a door on his ex several times, “causing substantial bruising to both of her arms and both sides of her hips,” court papers claim.
Pasternak denies the charges against him — and claims that the petite 27-year-old Korean-American vlogger was in fact the aggressor.
His spokeswoman Dini von Mueffling, who described herself as a longtime friend of the serial startup founder, claimed that Ha “flew into a rage” and “attacked” Pasternak during the hotel encounter.
“Throughout their relationship, Evelyn physically attacked Ben,” von Mueffling claimed in a statement.
“She was emotionally and physically abusive, very jealous, and threatened him if he ever dared leave the relationship,” the PR rep added. “Our fears are now coming to fruition. She’s now making good on her threats.”
But Ha said she was the one who decided to leave the tech tycoon — out of fears for her own safety.
“There were serious boundaries that were crossed, and I decided to move away from that relationship for the sake of my safety and my wellbeing,” she said in a video posted Thursday to YouTube, where she has more than 530,000 subscribers.
“It’s still really raw for me to be completely honest, and right now I’m just spending time with friends and family and just trying to take everything day by day, hour by hour, and just try my best to just be in the moment,” Ha said.
Pasternak pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a felony second-degree strangulation charge, and a misdemeanor rap of assault.
He was released on his own recognizance despite prosecutors asking for $30,000 bail.
The young tech founder dropped out of high school to focus full-time on building companies, and was living on his own inside a Hells Kitchen studio apartment at just 16 years old, The Post reported in 2016.
Pasternak sold the plant-based nugget venture — once dubbed the “Tesla of Chicken” — in 2024.
He’s separately facing allegations from investors that he illegally diluted the value of the crypto coins they bought on his token creation and trading platform, Believe, according to court papers.
“Consumers lost nearly everything,” investors Joshua Lee and Pierre Montmeas wrote in the suit filed on March 23 in Manhattan federal court.
Pasternak has yet to respond to the suit, but court records show that process servers finally tracked him down and slapped him with a summons on April 17, weeks after the alleged assault.
He is due back in court in that case on June 11.
Pasternak’s lawyer, Josh Kirshner, told The Post that his client “entered a plea of not guilty because he is indeed innocent.”
Kirshner said Pasternak’s actions during the encounter were “limited to lawful self-defense and efforts to disengage.”
“The complainant’s account is inconsistent and unsupported by reliable corroboration. We expect the facts to demonstrate that these charges are unwarranted,” he said.
“As heartbreaking as it is to see Ben’s name smeared, as his friend, I am grateful that he is no longer in physical danger,” von Mueffling added.
