Former UFC champion BJ Penn appeared before a Hawaiian judge this week to contest a court-mandated mental health evaluation, arguing that the requirement threatens his livelihood and reputation.
According to sources, the MMA icon told Hilo Circuit Court Judge Peter Kubota on Monday that media attention surrounding the examination order is damaging his professional prospects.
“Being that the only way I get income is from my name down at the bowling alley on the gym, around Honolulu on the gyms. That’s my only way of any income, and the media and the prosecutors pushing for the mental health test really, really hurts my ability to make money,” Penn said during the video court appearance.
Penn currently faces multiple charges in Hilo, including family abuse and violating a restraining order filed by his 79-year-old mother, Lorraine Shin. The legal troubles stem from allegations that have accumulated over the past year, with Penn receiving six arrests in 2025 alone.
The court first ordered the mental health examination in October to determine whether Penn is competent to stand trial. However, the former two-division champion missed the scheduled appointment, claiming he was never properly notified.
His attorney filed a motion to reconsider the order, asserting that Penn had already voluntarily completed an evaluation last year that demonstrated his fitness.
Hawaii County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Kirsten Selvig disputed that claim, stating the self-referred evaluation was incomplete and insufficient for the court’s purposes.
Penn has made unusual statements both in court and on social media, claiming that “imposters” have replaced his family members. These assertions have led his mother to believe he may be experiencing Capgras Syndrome, a rare psychological condition in which someone falsely believes a close relation has been replaced by an identical imposter.
During Monday’s hearing, Penn dismissed the evaluation requirement as illegitimate. “She deemed me ineligible to qualify for any of the state’s mental health programs. So, this thing is just some kind of scam,” he told the court, according to Hawaii News Now.
Judge Kubota rejected Penn’s motion to reconsider and maintained the examination order, warning of potential consequences for continued noncompliance.
“Mr. Penn, you have to get the examination done with the state-ordered examiner, and if you don’t do that, I’m going to have to consider contempt proceedings against you,” the judge said.
The former champion’s most recent arrest came in November, when he was charged with third-degree assault after allegedly attacking another man in Hawaii. The individual reported that Penn struck him multiple times before he could escape and contact authorities. Penn was apprehended nearly 11 hours later and released on $1,000 bail after booking.
Earlier legal troubles centered on allegations involving his mother. Penn was arrested in September for violating the restraining order Shin had obtained against him. Prior to that, he faced two arrests in May on charges of abusing his mother, who described her son to police as delusional at the time.
Following one of those arrests, Penn shared video footage on Instagram showing police removing him from his bed in handcuffs. He was charged with abuse of a family or household member and released on $2,000 bail.
At a separate hearing in December, Penn requested both new legal representation and the removal of Judge Kubota from his case. The judge, who personally appointed Penn’s current attorney Alan Komagome, advised the former champion to follow proper procedures.
“If there’s a substantial reason why you believe you should have new counsel instead of Mr. Komagome, I appointed him because he’s a very good attorney and he takes care of you and your best interest, but you talk it over with him. If you really feel like he cannot adequately represent you, he’ll bring it to my attention and we can have a separate hearing on that,” Judge Kubota explained.
