Influencer Halley Kate Testifies in Court Nearly 2 Years After Alleging She Was Punched in Head by Stranger

In March 2024, the 25-year-old TikTok star’s claims about being randomly punched went viral after she posted a video of a massive bump on her forehead

NEED TO KNOW

• TikTok star Halley Kate appeared in court on Tuesday, Feb. 3, to testify nearly two years after she was allegedly assaulted on the streets of New York City
• In March 2024, the influencer posted a video claiming that she had been punched by a stranger, who was arrested by the NYPD after the incident
• The defendant, Skiboky Stora, has pleaded not guilty to all five charges he is facing, including assault and aggravated harassment

Halley Kate‘s assault case has come to trial nearly two years after she was allegedly punched on the streets of New York City.

The 25-year-old TikTok star appeared in New York Supreme Criminal Court on Tuesday, Feb. 3, and she shared photos on Instagram to mark the long-awaited trial. Kate posed in a green wrap dress outside the Manhattan building.

“Halley Kate Court…. 2 years in the making. Today we serve justice & serve looks 🤝,” she captioned the post.

The influencer — who has over 1.8 million followers across her TikTok and Instagram channels — claimed a stranger struck her in the face in March 2024. At the time, the NYPD confirmed to PEOPLE that Skiboky Stora was arrested and Kate “suffered injuries to the left side of her face,” as the police said in their statement. 

Per court records, Stora is currently facing five charges, including assault and aggravated harassment. He has pleaded not guilty to all counts.

On March 25, 2024, Kate posted a video she recorded just after the alleged incident took place. “I was literally just walking, and a man came up and punched me in the face. Oh my god, it hurts so bad. I can’t even talk,” she recounted, showing a large bump on her head to her camera. “I fell to the ground, and now this giant goose egg is forming.”

Her video was one in a string of stories shared by women on TikTok around the same time. Many women also posted videos saying that they had been randomly punched in the face by strangers, though it wasn’t clear if the claims were connected.

During the trial on Tuesday, Kate reportedly testified that she “couldn’t really touch anywhere near that spot” where she claimed Stora hit her, per the New York Post. She added, “I can still feel in my hairline where I was hit.”

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The outlet also reported that the defendant — who represented himself in court — attempted to ask Kate about an alleged TikTok trend of people claiming they were punched. However, the New York Post noted that Stora’s queries were shut down by Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Josh Hanshaft.

The case’s trial is set to resume on Wednesday, Feb. 4.