An influencer associated with the American MAGA movement faces assault charges following an alleged incident at a London Underground station. Melissa Rein Lively, a US national and the founder of an “anti-woke” PR firm called America First PR, has been charged with assault by beating. Her partner, Philipp Ostermann, a 37-year-old German national, faces charges of two racially aggravated public order offenses and an additional public order offense. The incident took place at Bond Street Underground station on the evening of October 11 last year, as reported by the British Transport Police (BTP) on Friday.
The charges against Rein Lively and Ostermann pertain to two alleged victims, with the first hearing scheduled at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, May 19, according to the police. The charges stem from an incident in 2025 where a woman was reportedly sprayed with suspected pepper spray, racially abused, and physically assaulted. The victim, a 34-year-old woman accompanied by her sister and two children, was reportedly targeted after an encounter with the accused couple at the station, as detailed by the Mail.
The altercation escalated when the man involved began racially abusing the victim and her family, leading to physical aggression from the woman. Subsequently, pepper spray was deployed towards the victim and her family, followed by verbal abuse and offensive gestures, before both parties left the scene, as described by a BTP spokesperson at the time.
Prior to this incident, Rein Lively had sought the White House press secretary position during the Trump administration but was ultimately not selected. She expressed confidence in her proximity to influential circles and her association with high-profile clients. Rein Lively, based in Arizona, has been vocal about her support for Trump, embodying the “MAGA look” with blonde hair, veneers, and Botox, and publicly demonstrating her stance by destroying face masks in a store during the Covid pandemic.
Ostermann, identified as Rein Lively’s boyfriend, holds the position of associate director at Aequita, a private equity firm based in Munich with branches in South Carolina and Tokyo.