By RORY TINGLE, HOME AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT Published: 16:39 BST, 15 May 2026 | Updated: 19:45 BST, 15 May 2026 132 shares
A MAGA influencer and her German boyfriend have been charged over a 'racially aggravated assault' in central London. Melissa Rein Lively, 40, has been charged with assault by beating, while 37-year-old Philipp Ostermann faces two racially aggravated public order offences and a further public order offence. Ms Rein Lively is a political consultant and founder of the 'anti-woke' PR firm America First PR. She applied for the job of White House spokesman for Trump's second term before losing to Karoline Leavitt. Her boyfriend, Mr Ostermann, is associate director of Aequita, a Munich-based private equity firm with offices in Tokyo and South Carolina.The charges relate to an incident last year, when police said a woman was sprayed with suspected pepper spray, racially abused and assaulted during a family day out. Melissa Rein Lively, 40, and 37-year-old Philipp Ostermann face multiple charges in relation to an alleged assault in London last year Ms Rein Lively is an Arizona-based political consultant and founder of an 'anti-woke' PR firmThe 34-year-old had been entering Bond Street Underground station with her sister and two young children, one of whom was in a pushchair, when the incident occurred at around 7.30pm on October 11.A British Transport Police spokesman said at the time: 'The man then began shouting racial abuse at the victim and her family, before the woman grabbed her hair.'When the victim tried to defend herself, the man pulled out a small bottle and said it was pepper spray before spraying it in the direction of the victim and her family.'The woman shouted abuse and made lewd gestures at them before both parties left the area.' Ms Rein Lively, who is based in Arizona, has spoken publicly of showing her support for President Trump with 'her face' by adopting the 'MAGA look' of blonde hair, veneers and Botox. In 2020, she made headlines by filming herself trashing masks in a shop during the pandemic.The first hearing is scheduled to take place at Westminster Magistrates' Court next Tuesday. The couple together on a holiday to Venice
