Nikita Hand alleges the incident happened at the Beacon Hotel in south Dublin in 2019
The woman who took UFC fighter Conor McGregor to court has written a tell-all book to ‘help other victims’ about the incident where she alleges he raped her.
Nikita Hand has written a book with ghost writer Kathryn Rogers, talking about the stigma faced by victims of sexual offences and about the Garda investigation into the alleged incidents in 2019, the Irish Mirror reports. The investigation ultimately saw the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) rule there would be no criminal charges.
The book also follows the high-profile civil case in November 2024. The book will mark the first time Nikita has spoken about everything since the major High Court case and ensuing appeal loss by McGregor.
In a statement, publishers Hachette Ireland said it is proud to announce the book – titled Not the Perfect Victim – which they said is “a courageous and ground-breaking book by Nikita Hand”, adding: “This is a singular story of survival, truth telling and unflinching personal bravery.”
Nikita, in a statement, said her book is about “telling my story in my own words, finding my voice and taking back my power”.
“My hope is that it helps victims and survivors find the courage to use their voices and not be afraid to come forward. I want them to take comfort from my story, knowing that there can be light at the end of the tunnel.
“Silence protects the perpetrator and money or power can’t be used as weapons against us. I hope my book can help change the stigma around the idea of the perfect victim – to let people know that, no matter who you are or where you come from, your voice and your story matter.”
Told entirely in her own words, “this is a singular story of survival, truth‑telling and unflinching personal bravery,” Hachette said.
“In it, Nikita reflects on the assault that changed her life, the failures she encountered in the search for justice, and the decision that ultimately shaped her future: to pursue a civil case against one of the world’s most high-profile athletes, Conor McGregor.
“What follows is a story marked by fear, resilience and extraordinary personal courage, as she found herself thrust into the public spotlight, prey to a toxic online culture, and ultimately facing four punishing days on the witness stand, laying out the truth of her experience in full.
“Told with clarity and unflinching honesty, this is a testament to survival, self-possession and the fight to reclaim one’s life in the aftermath of trauma.”
The book, which is available for pre-order, is due to be released on September 22 this year. It comes as Nikita has faced an uphill battle in taking McGregor to court, being believed by a jury, and then fending off an appeal by the fighter and an attempt to take the matter to the Supreme Court. In its decision late last year the Supreme Court said that it is “not satisfied that any matter of general public importance arises in this application justifying an appeal to this Court.”
They further stated that McGregor “sets out, as such a matter, the question as to what are the principles governing the admissibility, in a civil trial, of evidence which trenches on the right to silence of a litigant who was a suspect in a related criminal investigation.
“While such a question could arise hypothetically, it does not arise here on the facts of this case,” the court said.
“The decision of the Court below involved the application of well-established principles as to whether the jury should have been discharged in the light of an erroneous ruling by the trial judge, and as to how the risk of an unfair trial may be avoided by the trial judge making necessary rulings and giving the appropriate directions to the jury. The application of those principles to the particular facts of this case is not a matter of general public importance,” it further stated.
The Court went on to state that it was “satisfied that the applicant has had a fair hearing, notwithstanding the admission of the ‘no comment’ evidence, followed by a full appeal to the Court of Appeal, and therefore he has had the benefit of his right of appeal.”
The decision marks the end of a long road for Ms Hand, who was awarded €250,000 by a civil jury which found that McGregor had assaulted her in a major case that made headlines throughout November 2024.
A jury of four men and eight women sided with Ms Hand (35), a former hair colourist from Drimnagh in Dublin, who said she was brutally raped by McGregor (36) in the penthouse suite of the Beacon Hotel in Sandyford on December 9, 2018.
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