Screenwriter of 'Happy Together' Sentenced to 6 Years and 7 Months for Killing Ex-‘Dom-2’ Participant

Stanislav Berestov, the screenwriter of the popular Russian television series ‘Happy Together’ (originally ‘Sчастливы вместе’), has been sentenced to six years and seven months in a strict-regime penal colony for the killing of Dmitry Lukin, a former participant of the reality show ‘Dom-2’. The verdict was handed down on June 18, 2026, by the Izmailovsky District Court in Moscow.

The court found Berestov guilty of causing Lukin’s death during a violent altercation that occurred on the night of April 14, 2025, in Berestov’s apartment on Shchelkovskoye Highway. According to the investigation, a dispute erupted while the two men were drinking alcohol together. The prosecution argued that Berestov stabbed Lukin 91 times, resulting in instantaneous death. However, the defense maintained that Berestov acted in self-defense after Lukin allegedly attacked him.

Berestov himself called emergency services after the incident, claiming that a visitor had attacked him and he was forced to defend himself. Police and medics arriving at the scene found Lukin’s body and Berestov with multiple injuries, including facial bone fractures, 13 cut and stab wounds on his hands, a bite mark on his elbow, and numerous bruises and hematomas. Berestov spent several days in intensive care. Blood alcohol tests showed both men were heavily intoxicated: Lukin had 2.6 parts per thousand, while Berestov had 1.7.

In his final statement before sentencing, Berestov expressed regret and apologized to Lukin’s mother, but reiterated that he had not intended to kill. “I am not a murderer. I’m sorry that I survived,” he said, maintaining his claim of self-defense. The jury concluded that Berestov had exceeded the limits of necessary self-defense, yet the court imposed a sentence significantly lower than the nine years requested by state prosecutors. The court also partially granted a civil claim from Lukin’s relatives, ordering Berestov to pay two million rubles in compensation.

The case has drawn widespread media attention in Russia due to the involvement of figures from well-known television projects, highlighting issues of alcohol-fueled violence and the legal boundaries of self-defense.