TikTok Influencer Testifies After Assault in Chelsea

A TikTok influencer, Harry McGookin, recounted a shocking assault from nearly two years ago during a Manhattan trial on Tuesday. She revealed that she still feels the impact of the punch to her head.

McGookin, who goes by @halleykate and has 1.6 million followers, described how she was unexpectedly struck by a stranger, Skiboky Stra, while heading to record a podcast on March 25, 2024. In a rather bewildering turn of events, she felt so rattled that she apologized to her attacker.

She explained that she told Stra she was “sorry” because he was shouting obscenities and blaming her for the incident. The emotional aftermath of the assault, she said, has left both physical and psychological scars.

During her testimony in Manhattan Supreme Court, McGookin shared the difficulties she faced during her recovery, mentioning that even light contact around the impacted area caused her pain. “It hurt so bad, I couldn’t brush my hair,” she added, emphasizing a lingering sensitivity in her hairline from where she was hit.

Stra, 42, is facing not just the assault charges but also hate crime accusations after he allegedly attacked a Jewish couple, screaming “Jews, die! Die!”

Although McGookin did not explicitly identify Stra as her assailant during her testimony, her online posts following the attack led many other TikTok users to come forward with their own similar experiences. She recalled her reaction immediately after, saying, “I was literally just walking and this guy came up to me and punched me in the face. Oh my god, it was so bad.”

Stra describes himself as a rapper and has previously attempted to launch campaigns for public office. He’s chose to represent himself in court, despite recommendations from his legal advisor to refrain.

In court, he sported a white tie with his name scribbled on it and posed odd questions to McGookin. He inquired about a supposed federal investigation targeting her and referenced a TikTok trend featuring people claiming to have experienced similar assaults. Both queries were quickly dismissed by the presiding Justice Josh Hanshaft.

McGookin recalled the precise moment of the attack, noting she was in the vicinity of West 17th Street and 7th Avenue when the incident occurred. Beyond assaulting her, Stra has also been accused of elbowing another woman and harassing the Jewish couple in different incidents throughout late 2023, prosecutors indicated.

He was taken into custody two days post-assault, following an investigation conducted by the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force and the Manhattan Attorney’s Office. The trial will continue on Wednesday.