TL;DR
- Model Jacob Zieben-Hood was found dead in his Harlem apartment with stab wounds.
- Friends say he was isolated for years by husband Donald Hood.
- Donald faces multiple pending abuse charges but has not been charged with murder.
- Court records show a history of alleged domestic violence since 2022.
- The LGBTQ community mourns a man once known for kindness and loyalty.
Years of Glamour, Then Silence
Once the life of the party in Hell’s Kitchen, Jacob Zieben-Hood’s life took a dark turn after he met model Donald Hood. Friends remember Jacob as a protective, generous man — the kind who’d walk drag queens home after gigs and keep his circle laughing late into the night. But in 2015, that all stopped. Invitations went unanswered, numbers were blocked, and Jacob’s once-bustling social world went silent.
The shift wasn’t subtle. Friends say Donald quickly became the “alpha,” controlling Jacob’s connections and cutting him off from the people who might have helped him later. One friend recalled Jacob admitting that Donald was “possessive” and “jealous,” restricting who he spoke to. Publicly, though, the couple’s social media told another story: loving selfies, weddings, vacations — a curated life that hid what prosecutors now call a pattern of abuse.
Allegations of Abuse
Court documents reveal that since 2022, Donald had been the subject of nine domestic incident reports. Protective orders were issued twice in the last year, forbidding contact with Jacob. Yet arrests in February and June — involving alleged strangulation, threats with a knife, and criminal contempt — paint a grim picture.
In February, prosecutors say Donald attacked Jacob in their Harlem apartment, nearly causing him to lose consciousness. In June, he allegedly menaced Jacob with a knife, telling him, “I will attack you.” Donald pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The violence, friends say, erased the Jacob they once knew. Still, a small glimmer of hope appeared earlier this year when Jacob reconnected with an old friend on Instagram. But that reconnection ended abruptly — and permanently — on July 31.
The Final Hours
On that day, police say Donald called 911 from the couple’s Harlem apartment, claiming he found Jacob dead on the toilet. Officers found Jacob with multiple stab wounds, including one deep enough to pierce muscle, and a head injury. Donald, sitting on the couch, had cuts, a black eye, and bite marks. He told police Jacob attacked him.
But prosecutors say Jacob had phoned his father moments earlier from the bathroom, telling him Donald was “coming at him with knives” and wouldn’t let him leave. Jacob’s father allegedly heard Donald screaming derogatory slurs in the background before the call cut off.
Donald was arrested and charged with burglary, aggravated criminal contempt, and weapons possession. Authorities are investigating the case as a homicide, pending autopsy results.
A Loss for the LGBTQ Community
For friends and the LGBTQ community, Jacob’s death is a devastating reminder of how isolation can hide abuse — even among glamorous couples whose lives appear enviable from the outside. LGBTQ advocates say his story underscores the urgent need for community connection and resources for those trapped in abusive same-sex relationships, where shame, stigma, and the desire to protect appearances can keep victims silent.
“Years can go by, but he was our family till the end,” one friend said. That sentiment echoes through New York’s queer community, where Jacob’s memory now serves as both a cautionary tale and a call to action: to check in, to look closer, and to never let a friend disappear quietly.