The legal consequences for the woman accused of shooting at Rihanna’s Beverly Hills mansion are expanding far beyond criminal charges. Ivanna Lisette Ortiz, 35, now faces the potential loss of her professional license to practice speech-language pathology in California, a development that adds another layer of fallout to an already staggering case.
Ortiz, who pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and 13 other felony counts on March 25, is licensed to practice speech-language pathology in California, having obtained her credential in April 2016. The license is not scheduled to expire until June 2027, but a member of the governing board that oversees the field is now pushing to have her barred from working with the public if she is released from custody.
The push to strip Ortiz of her professional credentials comes amid a criminal case that could send her to prison for life. Prosecutors allege Ortiz fired approximately 20 rounds from an AR-style rifle at Rihanna’s Beverly Crest home on March 8 while the singer, her partner A$AP Rocky, their three children, and her mother were on the property. No one was injured, though authorities said those inside “easily could have been hit”.
Ortiz faces one count of attempted murder, 10 counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and three counts of shooting into an inhabited dwelling. Judge Theresa McGonigle has set bail at $1.875 million and issued a protective order requiring Ortiz to stay away from Rihanna and Rocky. She remains in custody with her next court appearance scheduled for April 8.
Court documents and online records reveal a disturbing fixation on the singer. In videos posted to social media earlier this year, Ortiz made incoherent claims about Rihanna, calling her the devil, accusing her of harm, and discussing her death . In one January email allegedly sent to her estranged husband, she demanded he “renounce Rihanna and confess that I’m better than her”.
The investigation is ongoing, and the motive for the shooting has not yet been established. But for Ortiz, the professional consequences are already taking shape alongside the criminal ones, a reminder that for those in licensed professions, alleged crimes can cost far more than freedom.
