Nikita Hand "takes power back" as she launches book with Rosie
· IrishCentralThe memoir – titled "Not the Perfect Victim" – was officially launched at an event in the Irish Writers Centre on Parnell Square, Dublin, by American broadcaster and comedian Rosie O’Donnell.
Ms Hand details the events following the 2018 incident in which UFC fighter McGregor was found by a High Court jury to have raped her in a south Dublin hotel.
Family, friends, supporters, and sexual violence activists gathered to mark the publication of the book, while Ms Hand was accompanied by her partner and daughter.
Sign up to IrishCentral's newsletter to stay up-to-date with everything Irish!
In the book, the former hairdresser writes about how she contemplated suicide in the days after she made a formal complaint to gardaí and then turned to alcohol to cope with the trauma of the attack.
Speaking at last night’s event, Ms Hand said that the book was about "refusing to be defined by the worst thing that ever happened to you".
"It is about taking back your power. By sharing my experience, I hope to help other survivors find the courage to speak, to seek support and to know they are never alone," she said.
"I also hope it sparks important conversations about consent, accountability and the harmful impact of shame and victim-blaming."
Ms Hand was awarded almost €250,000 as part of the 2024 civil court ruling, as well as having her legal fees of approximately €1.5 million covered by cage fighter McGregor.
He later appealed the ruling but was unsuccessful. The book launch was also attended by CEO of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre Rachel Morrogh who said that the memoir "shows the determination and hope that carry survivors forward".
"What strikes me most about Nikita’s book is the agency it restores. After years of others analyzing, debating and interpreting her experience, she speaks for herself," she said.
Sign up to IrishCentral's newsletter to stay up-to-date with everything Irish!
* This article was originally published on Extra.ie.