'Still recovering': Cincinnati brawl victim Holly speaks breaks silence; shares suffering brain trauma after viral attack
Holly, a key victim in the violent Cincinnati street brawl that went viral over the weekend spoke out for the first time after the incident, describing the lasting impact of her injuries and thanking the public for their overwhelming support.
The brutal incident occurred early Saturday morning in downtown Cincinnati when a man was chased into the street, thrown to the ground, and beaten by a crowd. As bystanders recorded the attack, one individual body-slammed the man while others kicked and stomped him.
In an attempt to help, Holly rushed to the scene—but was punched twice in the face. She fell hard to the pavement, striking her head and bleeding from the mouth as onlookers continued to cheer.
Video of the assault quickly spread online, sparking outrage.
Appearing in a video update on Sunday with visible facial bruising, Holly described the ordeal as harrowing. 'It's been very, very hard, and I'm still recovering,' she said. 'I still have very bad brain trauma.'
A single mother, Holly thanked the public for their continued prayers and support. 'I just want to say thank you so much to everyone for all of the love and support.
It is very humbling… It's definitely what's keeping me going, and you have just brought back faith and humanity.'
She is one of six people injured in the brawl, and so far, police have arrested four suspects while two more remain at large.
Jermaine Matthews, 39, Dominique Kittle, 37, Montianez Merriweather, 34, and Dekyra Vernon, 24, have been charged in connection with the incident. Kittle, Merriweather, and Vernon remain in Hamilton County Jail, while Matthews has been released on bond, reported Fox News.
Matthews faces multiple charges including two counts of felonious assault, misdemeanor assault, and aggravated riot. Merriweather and Vernon are also charged with felonious assault, aggravated riot, and assault. Kittle is facing a single count of assault.
Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said on Monday that he spoke with Holly and criticised the lack of police presence during the attack. "It's unconscionable that there were no police present in that area of Cincinnati on a Friday night, or even an ambulance to take her to the hospital,' Ramaswamy wrote on X.
'Hard-working Americans shouldn't have to worry for their safety when they have a good time in our cities," he added.
Vice President JD Vance also condemned the violence, saying he was appalled by footage showing "a grown man who sucker punched a middle-aged woman."
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