On Friday 22 November 2024, Nikita Hand won her civil claim against Irish mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor, in which she accused him of raping her in a Dublin hotel back in December 2018—an allegation McGregor still refutes. Speaking about the verdict, Hand shared that she was “overwhelmed” and “touched” by the support she’d received. And then, just a few days following the judgement, Dee Devlin—McGregor’s fiancée and partner of 15 years—broke her silence on the case and released a statement so disappointing and disgraceful that it unleashed a firestorm of epic proportions on social media.
But before we get into the details of this highly upsetting situation, let’s first unpack exactly who Dee Devlin is and what her history with Conor McGregor entails.
Dee Devlin, 37, is probably best known for being Conor McGregor’s number one supporter. Shortly after getting together, Devlin became a key component in the fighter’s team and has remained firmly loyal to him despite a long list of controversies and legal battles.
Devlin also has a relatively impressive social media following, with 1.9 million followers on Instagram. Indeed, the mother of four regularly posts pictures of herself with McGregor and their children, positioning themselves as the ‘perfect family’.
Dee Devlin and Conor McGregor have been together for 15 years, having first met in a nightclub in 2008. The MMA fighter proposed to Devlin on 9 August 2020—his partner’s 33rd birthday.
The couple also have four children, three sons and one daughter.
On Wednesday 27 November 2024, Devlin, who was a stoic and constant presence by the professional fighter’s side during the civil trial, posted on Instagram a photo of herself, McGregor, and their children, captioning the image: “My man and I have created a beautiful life together. I love him, I trust him and I BELIEVE HIM! Our four beautiful children whose smiling faces and happy hearts are testimony to the man he is and who we are! No one is entitled to comment on our relationship—we trust one another and love one another. Nothing or nobody will change that. Our family stands strong!”
Shortly after, Devlin also posted a story to her Instagram writing “My sons will be warned women like you exist in the world.”
Given how hard I found it to stomach these words, I can only imagine how Hand (or any woman who’s been victim to sexual assault) felt seeing Devlin’s vile narrative.
Immediately, women began taking to X, formerly Twitter, and TikTok to express their anger at Devlin’s words. And while some tried to defend Devlin and insisted that her support for McGregor was really a reflection of their trauma bond, others have criticised the 37-year-old for perpetuating such damaging rhetoric.
Prior to Devlin’s statement, I did understand those who argued that it was unfair and inherently misogynistic to hold Devlin to a higher moral standard than McGregor himself. Now, however, any sympathy I previously had for her has been well and truly squashed.