Society,CrimeAUG 4, 2025

"No One Deserves This!": Woman Beaten In Cincinnati Attack Speaks About Her Recovery

Donata Leskauskaitė and Julie Christine Noce

One of the people involved in a brutal street fight in Cincinnati, Ohio, a woman named Holly, who suffered a black eye, multiple bruising and brain trauma, is speaking out about her recovery.

The incident happened in the early hours of July 27th at around three o’clock in the morning after bars let out for the evening.

Holly, who lives in Russia, speaks about her injuries for the first time

Highlights

The woman who suffered a black eye and other serious injuries while trying to break up a fight in Cincinnati is talking about her recovery.
Holly, who lives in Russia, said she was still getting medical treatment and that she has very bad brain trauma.
Because Holly and another alleged victim are white and the alleged perpetrators are Black, the incident has become a hot-button issue about the country’s delicate race relations.

Image credits: bennyjohnson / X

Image credits: TheFleshGordon / X

The incident took place in Cincinnati’s Over‑the‑Rhine district, near Elm and Fourth Streets and was captured on bystanders’ mobile and smart phones.

The cause of the brawl is unclear in the videos, but at one point, we see a man kicking and punching a man in a white shirt, while he lies on the ground.

At another point in the video, a woman appears to step into the middle of the brawl to try to calm nerves.

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Instead, she is hit in the back of the head by another woman, and then she is punched in the face by a man.

She collapses to the ground, with blood spilling from her mouth.

Holly, known only by her first name, resides in Russia, where she has returned after the incident in Ohio.

In a new video posted to social media, Holly addresses her supporters.

“Very bad brain trauma”: Holly described her injuries in a video

Image credits: TheFleshGordon / X

In the video, Holly says: “I want to say thank you to everyone for all of the love and support. It's definitely what's keeping me going. And you have just brought back faith in humanity.”

Holly, who reports say is a single working mother, said she is still suffering.

Image credits: TheFleshGordon / X

“It's been very, very hard, and I'm still recovering. I still have a very bad brain trauma. God bless you all. Thank you,” she said in the video

Her bottom lip was also cut open slightly, with dark bruises seen around her neck and upper torso.

Right-wing political commentator and YouTube influencer Benny Johnson has been championing Holly’s cause and has posted her most recent message on his X account.

Johnson has started a crowdfunding page for Holly on the site SaveFundGo. They have raised more than $330,000 after asking for $25,000.

Six people charged, four arrested in Cincinnati brawl incident

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The Cincinnati Police Department has said that six people are being charged with felonious assault and aggravated rioting, with four of the six being arrested.

Local media have said that Jermaine Matthews, 39, Dominique Kittle, 37, Montianez Merriweather, 34, and Dekyra Vernon, 24, were arrested for their alleged involvement in the fight.

Image credits: berniemorenoforohio / Instagram

Authorities say Kittle, Merriweather and Vernon remain in custody at the Hamilton County Jail, with Matthews having posted bond.

An investigation is ongoing, police say.

The issue of race has become central to the incident

Image credits: WCPO 9 / YouTube

The incident is shining a light on the country’s fragile racial tensions.

While the video purports to show a group of Black men beating a white man, at times while he is on the ground cowering, witnesses have said that the white man made a racial slur before getting attacked.

In the audio of other bystander videos, it's clear racial slurs are being hurled.

What’s unclear is who made the remarks or who they were directed toward, but several city officials have said it's important to take this into consideration.

A Black city councilwoman, Victoria Parks, sparked controversy by posting on social media that the victims “asked for that beatdown,” which drew condemnation from police union leaders and political opponents, with many calling for her resignation.

Image credits: Hamilton County Sheriff's Office

Pastor Damon Lynch III, who is also Black, stated, “We would not be here … if this was a group of Black people that jumped on other Black people—Obviously it’s national news because it’s been racialized.”

Lynch also noted that a white man appears in the video slapping a Black man—yet his involvement has gone largely unreported.

Image credits: Hamilton County Sheriff's Office

But other high-level figures have pushed back, framing it as a predominantly Black group attacking white victims.

Vice President J.D. Vance, who grew up in the area, and his half-brother Cory Bowman, who is running in the city’s upcoming mayoral race, have both condemned the incident.

Police are also investigating racist flyers that were recently posted in the city

Image credits: berniemorenoforohio / Instagram

The issue of race has not subsided.

Over the weekend, the city’s mayor, Aftab Pureval, posted to his Facebook page that K* Kl** Kl** flyers had recently been posted around the city.

Lt. Jonathan Cunningham confirmed on August 3 that the department's intelligence unit is looking into the matter, according to a statement.

"We are committed to maintaining a safe and inclusive environment for all residents and will continue to take all necessary actions to address and prevent the spread of hate in our communities," Cunningham said.