Transgender influencer and YouTuber Nikita Nguyen, known as Nikita Dragun, was arrested on Monday in Miami Beach, Florida. A viral tweet shows a video of Nguyen saying she is being held in a men’s prison.
First reported by TMZ, Nguyen was arrested on Monday and charged with “felony battery on a police officer, misdemeanor disorderly conduct, and misdemeanor battery.”
An arrest affidavit provided to the Daily Dot by the Miami-Dade Police Department identifies Nguyen as male. The affidavit states that Nguyen was arrested at The Goodtime Hotel in Miami Beach after officers responded to calls concerning “an Asian female causing a disturbance and being extremely disorderly within the establishment.”
The affidavit then refers to Nguyen using he/him/his pronouns, saying that Nguyen wouldn’t cease her “disorderly” behavior and “[swung] an open water bottle” toward officers, spilling water on them.
A viral tweet states that Nguyen is being held in a male prison. The tweet includes a video of Nguyen asking a judge if she could be moved from “the men’s unit.”
“Your honor, may I ask one question?” Nguyen says in the video. “Do I have to stay here in the men’s unit?” In response, the judge says that she doesn’t “make the rules” and that Nguyen can contact the bondsman for accommodations.
The tweet was posted on Wednesday by Samantha (@itssamanthaaaa_), who declined to comment to the Daily Dot.
“This is so fucking inhumane and the fact the news isn’t covering it is just even worse,” Samantha tweeted. “I’m not a fan of Nikita but this is a violation of human rights and her safety.”
Nguyen has over 3.5 million subscribers on YouTube, where she came out as transgender in 2015. Known for makeup tutorials, she has been accused of blackfishing (or darkening her skin) and cultural appropriation. She appeared on Netflix’s Hype House, a reality show about influencers cohabitating.
According to a Miami-Dade County digital inmate search performed by the Daily Dot, it is unclear if Nguyen is still being held in jail.
The Daily Dot reached out to Nguyen and The Goodtime Hotel via email.
Update 12:01pm CT, Nov. 10: In an email to the Daily Dot, Jack Ketsoyan of Full Scope Public Relations said on behalf of Nguyen that her placement in a men’s unit of a Florida jail “is extremely disturbing and dangerous” and confirmed that she has been released and “is now safe.”
Ketsoyan also said that Nguyen’s placement in a male unit “directly violates” the protocol of the Miami-Dade County Corrections Department. Established in 2009, the department’s protocol states that “a transgender inmate shall be classified and housed based on housing availability, safety/security needs, his/her gender identity and genitalia,” according to a copy of the protocol provided by the National Prison Rape Elimination Act Resource Center.
However, the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department told TMZ that Nguyen “never made it beyond the booking process prior to release,” so she wasn’t placed in a men’s unit.
“Inmate Dragun was placed in a holding cell by herself due to her high profile status before being released,” the department told TMZ. “She was escorted by an LGBTQ officer during her time at the corrections facility.”
