The entire world was caught by surprise when BJ Penn got arrested multiple times in May 2025. And both times, it was reportedly for abusing his family members. His mother, Lorraine Shin, claimed that Penn was suffering from Capgras delusional syndrome. And now, things have gotten even worse, as the former UFC champion made some unrealistic demands before the Hilo Family Court. 

Following his second arrest, the Hawaiian police department stated, “Penn was located within the area and arrested without incident. He was processed at the Hilo Police Station and released after posting $3,000 bail.” Penn was ordered to stay at least 100 yards away from his 79-year-old mother, whom he already considers to be an impostor. In front of the court, ‘The Prodigy’ said, “I can’t get into the accounts. She says she’s going to kick me out of the house or get me arrested… This doesn’t have to do with the fact of me and Lorraine not being family. So that’s why I don’t understand a criminal case in Family Court, but we aren’t family.” And the situation keeps on getting hotter. 

During a hearing on 24 June 2025, Penn pleaded for a ‘supervised identity verification’ to be done on his mother. Of course, the Hilo family Court Judge Jeffrey Ng wasn’t going to comply with such requests. Yet, when he asked the former UFC champion to clarify, he said, “A very thorough identity test to make sure this unknown woman filing this TRO against Jay Dee Penn is, in fact, Lorraine Shin.”

On top of that, Penn requested his mother’s temporary 100-yard restraining order to be rescinded. But the fighter wasn’t done! He also asked that Shin provide him with housing. Needless to say, all three pleas were denied by the Hilo family Court. And with that, the world kept worrying about Penn, as he believed that his mother and brother were killed and then replaced by impostors. This even concerned Joe Rogan. 

Joe Rogan weighs in on BJ Penn’s arrest

On episode #2339 of The Joe Rogan Experience, the beloved UFC color commentator sat down with Luis J. Gomez and Big Jay Oakerson for a 3-hour-long talk. And during their conversation, Rogan stumbled upon the recent struggles of BJ Penn. “BJ Penn claims that his family are imposters, that someone has kidnapped his family and replaced them,” the 57-year-old podcaster pointed out. 

That’s when Oakerson weighed in on the textbook happenings with mania. He said, “Isn’t it funny when they hit with mania and manic stuff like that and bipolar with those kinds of things? They’re really textbook… A newfound thing in religion and being serious about it all of a sudden, like it’s always been that way. And weird. And they always have those things. That’s one of them too, like everyone’s fake. Everyone in my life has been replaced with somebody else.” So, what’s wrong with Penn? 

The former champion, according to his mother, is suffering from Capgras syndrome, also called Capgras delusion. It’s a very rare psychiatric disorder that makes the victims believe that their close ones are actually imposters, often with ill intentions. This misidentification often causes violent behaviors in the patients, as they lose the emotional connection with their loved ones. And all that the medical staff can do for patients, like Penn, is provide cognitive behavioral therapy and help them cope with the delusions. It’s often considered to be associated with other conditions like schizophrenia and dementia, which might be triggered by brain damage. And all we can do for Penn is pray for his situation to cool down so that he can receive the treatment that he deserves.