US influencer Melissa Rein Lively admits hair-pulling assault at Bond Street Tube

American "anti-woke" influencer Melissa Rein Lively has admitted assaulting a woman at Bond Street Underground station, accepting a conditional caution and paying £910 in compensation.

US influencer admits assault at Bond Street Underground station

American influencer Melissa Rein Lively has admitted assaulting a woman at a London Underground station, Westminster Magistrates' Court was told on Tuesday, Daily Express reports.

Rein Lively, 40, accepted a conditional caution over an incident at Bond Street station on 11 October last year, in which she allegedly pulled a woman's hair "in a forceful manner". The assault by beating charge against her was subsequently withdrawn.

Prosecutor Lyndon Harris told the court: "Ms Lively has accepted a conditional caution in response to the allegation against her. That involved an admission to the conduct alleged against her and acknowledgement it amounts to an offence, and she has agreed to pay £910 in compensation."

The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed it had received proof that Rein Lively paid the compensation to the victim on Tuesday afternoon. Rein Lively did not appear in court for the brief hearing.

On her Instagram page, Rein Lively describes herself as the founder of an "anti-woke" PR firm called America First.

Co-accused pleads not guilty

Rein Lively was charged alongside Philipp Ostermann, 37, who faces two counts of racially aggravated public order offences and a further public order offence against two alleged victims. Ostermann pleaded not guilty to all three charges and was present in court, wearing a white shirt and dark suit.

According to prosecutors, two sisters were walking towards the underground station — one of them with two children, pushing one in a pushchair — when they noticed Ostermann and Rein Lively ahead, who appeared to be kissing.

"It appeared to one of the sisters that Mr Ostermann and Ms Lively may have been intoxicated," Harris told the court.

Rein Lively then stumbled into the pushchair, the court heard, prompting the sister holding the pushchair to push back. Rein Lively then grabbed one of the sisters by the hair, tugging it in a forceful manner. The sister grabbed Rein Lively's hair in return to make her release her grip, prosecutors said.

Ostermann was freed on unconditional bail and ordered to return to City of London Magistrates' Court on 17 November to face trial.

Source: Daily Express