Christina Ricci has publicly condemned Jimmy Fallon for interviewing Conor McGregor on The Tonight Show, accusing the host of giving a platform to a man found liable for rape.
Ricci's Instagram Repost
The actress reposted a statement from Instagram user mushroom.marauder on her Instagram Story, which detailed the brutality of McGregor's 2018 rape of Nikita Hand. The post read: 'Conor McGregor raped a woman so brutally that the EMT who saw her commented on the severity of her bruising. She also had to have the tampon she was using when he raped her surgically removed, as it had been shoved so far inside her.' It continued: 'Why the absolute f**k is this piece of human garbage being given a platform on Jimmy Fallon’s show? Shame on you Jimmy.'
McGregor's Civil Case
In November 2024, McGregor was found liable in a civil case for the 2018 rape of Nikita Hand at a Dublin hotel. Hand was awarded €248,603 (£206,000) in damages. During the trial, a paramedic testified that they had not seen 'someone so bruised' in a long time. Dr. Daniel Kane described using forceps to remove a tampon that had been 'wedged inside' Hand, who was 'shaking and crying' with bruising across her face, arms, fingers, forearms, knuckles, legs, lower back, and buttocks.
Fallon's Interview and Backlash
Despite the verdict, McGregor appeared on Fallon's show to discuss his return to UFC and his nickname 'Notorious'. Fallon referred to McGregor as 'my man' and 'one of the best MMA fighters in the world', reminiscing about drinking together and saying, 'We’ll have to do it again!' Viewers criticized Fallon, and some noticed he did not share promo for the interview, accusing him of trying to 'hide' it. Ricci's repost echoed calls calling Fallon 'spineless' and 'pathetic'. Fallon has not publicly addressed the controversy.
Support for Nikita Hand
During the court case, hundreds protested in solidarity with Hand against violence against women. After her civil case victory, Hand said: 'I want to thank all the women and men out there who have supported me throughout this trial. For every person who reached out to me – a card, a letter, an email, everything – it hasn’t gone unnoticed. Thank you, I really appreciate it so much.'
