Vogue Williams has criticized Conor McGregor as "grim" and questioned why he remains idolized after a civil jury found him liable for assaulting Nikita Hand. The High Court ruled in November 2024 that McGregor assaulted Hand and awarded her nearly €250,000. His appeals were dismissed by the Court of Appeal in July 2025, and the Supreme Court refused permission to appeal in December 2025. Williams and co-host Joanne McNally also highlighted the hostile online backlash women receive when discussing the case.
Vogue Williams Slams Conor McGregor as "Grim" and Questions His Celebrity Following After Civil Verdict
Image Credit: Go My Media / Shutterstock.
Irish presenter Vogue Williams has openly criticized Conor McGregor, calling him "grim" and asking why he continues to command a large following despite a civil jury finding him liable for assaulting Nikita Hand.
Speaking on the podcast My Therapist Ghosted Me, Williams challenged the international public fascination with the former UFC champion and asked co-host Joanne McNally why so many people still view him as worthy of admiration. "Do you know who is grim and who has so many followers and people that are actually interested in following him? Conor McGregor," Williams said, calling the allegations and the court’s findings "heinous."
McNally echoed Williams’s frustration and described the hostile online responses women often receive when they speak about McGregor or the civil verdict. She said commenters frequently insist that "nothing has been proven" or urge critics to "wait for a trial," despite the civil case having concluded and McGregor exhausting his appeals.
Court Findings and Legal Timeline
In November 2024 a High Court jury found that McGregor assaulted Nikita Hand at a Dublin hotel in December 2018 and awarded her nearly €250,000 in damages. Hand had testified that McGregor raped and assaulted her in a penthouse at Dublin’s Beacon Hotel; McGregor maintained the encounter was consensual. A second defendant, James Lawrence, was not found liable for assaulting Hand.
McGregor challenged the civil verdict on several grounds, including the wording of the jury question and the admission of evidence related to his "no comment" police interview answers. He also sought to introduce new evidence offering an alternative explanation for Hand’s injuries, but his legal team withdrew that application shortly before an appeal hearing.
On July 31, 2025, Ireland’s Court of Appeal dismissed McGregor’s appeal in full. The judges said evidence about his police interviews should not have been admitted but concluded that repeated judicial instructions protected against an unfair trial. In December 2025 the Supreme Court refused permission to hear a further appeal, leaving the jury’s verdict and damages award in place. Hand welcomed the decision, saying the civil justice process had finally allowed her voice to be heard after seven years of seeking accountability.
Public Reaction
Williams and McNally’s comments underline a wider debate about celebrity, accountability and how online communities respond when women raise allegations against high-profile figures. Their discussion highlights both public disagreement over how to interpret civil verdicts and the often hostile social-media backlash women face when commenting on such cases.
Help us improve.
