A single mother who was viciously beaten in a street brawl in downtown Cincinnati last month has spoken out publicly to thank supporters after video of the incident went viral, saying they “brought back faith in humanity.”
“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,” she said through tears in a post on social media on Sunday.
“It’s been very, very hard, and I’m still recovering. I still have a very bad brain trauma,” the woman — identified only as Holly — said.
Her right eye is still blackened, and her face appears covered in yellow bruising as a result of the attack. She told The Enquirer she has been in and out of the hospital for the past 10 days and has been hiding outside of the city after receiving threats to her life.
“I met those guys that night while celebrating my friend’s birthday,” Holly said of some of the men involved in the fight. “We weren’t out to get into a fight. We were waiting on our Uber outside, and that’s when it all started.”
Video of the brawl on July 26 shows a group of mostly Black men surrounding Holly and an unidentified man, both of whom are white.
One of the alleged assailants, Montianez Merriweather, 34, claims he was called racial slurs and spat on before the violence began.
The specifics of how the fight began remain unclear, and Holly told The Enquirer that she couldn’t say much about it, citing that police and lawyers had advised her to avoid discussing specifics while the incident is under investigation.
Five people have since been charged following the violent late-night brawl in late July, an incident that involved dozens of people and has reignited concerns about public safety in the Ohio city.
Footage of the altercation depicts a large crowd before punches begin to fly. The man is seen falling to the ground, subjected to repeated punches and kicks from bystanders.
In another distressing moment, Holly is struck in the face, collapsing motionless before being aided by another woman. She is visibly bleeding from the mouth.
“I am outraged by the vicious fight that occurred downtown,” Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval said in a statement. “It is horrifying to watch, and this is unacceptable and disgusting behavior is intolerable in any part of our community.”
The video of the brawl quickly became a political issue. Vice President JD Vance’s half-brother Cory Bowman, who is running to be Cincinnati’s mayor, flagged the fight on social media shortly after it occurred and blamed city leadership for creating an unsafe environment.
“For many, these images sparked shock and disbelief,” he said in a statement. “For residents within our city limits, they serve as a stark reminder of the ongoing crime and lawlessness we’ve had to endure this summer.”
Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for civil rights at the Justice Department, posted on X above an image of the video that “EVERY American is entitled to the equal protection of our laws. Federal law enforcement is on it, and we will ensure that justice is done.”
The videos also became a flashpoint among conservatives online, despite a lack of available details about the incident. Political influencers pointed to it as an example of apparent Black-on-white violence and criticized media coverage of the fight.
Vivek Ramaswamy, currently running for the Republican nomination for Ohio governor, is holding a town hall in Cincinnati on Monday night (August 4) focused on crime, to “reflect on recent events.”
Holly said her recovery has been “very, very hard,” and tearfully thanked those who have contributed to her GiveSendGo fundraiser, which so far has raised more than $280,000.
“God bless you all. Thank you,” she said.
Right-wing columnist Benny Johnson launched the fundraiser, and donors include Ramaswamy and Senator Bernie Moreno.
Holly has pushed back against how the fight has been spun politically and framed through a racial lens.
“Let’s stop looking at people as Black and White, Republican and Democrat,” Holly said. “Let’s start looking at people as human beings.”
Holly said she holds no hard feelings against the people who attacked her.
“I don’t feel any anger or hatred about what happened. They should serve time in jail, but I’m praying for them,” Holly said. “I hope they learn to control their rage and change their lives.”
