beauty

Nikita Dragun is a famous beauty influencer. She was arrested and placed in a men's prison.

Earlier this week, beauty brand owner and global influencer Nikita Dragun made headlines no one was expecting.

The beauty guru, who boasts over nine million followers on Instagram, was arrested on Monday evening (US time) after she was allegedly caught strolling around a luxury Miami hotel pool naked. Dragun was reportedly seen walking around the pool being disorderly for hours prior to the arrest. 

While she was arrested for disorderly conduct, the attention has moved from her 'crime' to that of her treatment after her arrest – as Dragun was being held in a men's prison.

After two nights in prison, she has now been released, with her PR representative Jack Ketsoyan making a statement shortly after her release.

"The situation with Nikita, who is legally female, being placed in a men’s unit of a Florida jail is extremely disturbing and dangerous,” Jack Ketsoyan stated. “This decision made by the Miami-Dade County Corrections Department directly violates their protocol, which mandates that transgender inmates are classified and housed based on safety needs and gender identity."

“Nikita has been released and is now safe. Thank you for respecting her privacy during this time.”

Here's everything we know about her, the arrest and how she's doing now. 

Who is Nikita Dragun?

Dragun is a transgender YouTuber, beauty influencer, model and beauty brand owner. She started recording clips of herself in her bedroom back in 2014. 

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Aside from sharing makeup tips with her followers, she cultivated an audience by openly documenting her transition.

"I never wanted to nap," she told Forbes"I was always mature for my age. I wanted to put on a dress and look cute. Everyone else can nap, but I'm going to be a princess over here."

In a YouTube video in 2015, Dragun admitted she "did not know" she was a boy as a child. 

"I would dream as a woman... I just remember constantly feeling that something wasn't right," she said. 

Throughout her career, the influencer has continued to build a cult following that now comfortably sits in the millions.

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In March 2022, she launched her cosmetics line, Dragun Beauty – one of the first makeup brands to be owned exclusively by a trans woman. Her products sold out in less than 12 hours. 

"I want to do something major," she said. "I want to continue to push the limits into new things, like media. Could you imagine the first trans pop star?" 

What did Nikita Dragun do?

Dragun has reached an enviable amount of success during the years she has spent building up her online persona, but the events of this week haven't been shared to her socials as she is currently in custody in Miami. 

On Monday evening (US time), TMZ reported Dragun had been arrested after she was caught walking around the pool at The Goodtime Hotel – a luxury resort in Miami that she often frequents – naked. 

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The publication claimed hotel staff had asked her to put her clothes "back on" numerous times and in response, she threw water at them. 

The police were called and later found her in her hotel room, where she was blasting loud music. The report went on to say that the influencer answered the door after multiple calls, but ultimately slammed it on them when told she needed to abide by the rules. 

Nikita Dragun's mugshot. Image: TMZ.

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Dragun then allegedly greeted officers again, asking them, "Do you want more?" before throwing a bottle of water at them. 

In response, she was swiftly arrested. 

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Dragun was then charged with felony battery on a police officer and a misdemeanour of disorderly conduct.

A video on TikTok by the user @potatothugginnn went viral when it showed Dragun in a prison jumpsuit on some kind of Zoom call, asking an official in the prison system: "Can I ask one question? Do I have to stay in the men's unit still?"

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In response, they said: "Yeah, I don't make the rules [there] but [its] proper accommodation for you."

@potatothugginnn #nikitadragun #tmz #tmznews #nikitadragunarrested #nikitadragunarrest #tmzverified #dramatok #drama #dramatiktok #chisme #celebrity #celebritygossip #celebritynewsdaily #fyp #fypシ #foryou #foryoupage #celebritynews #court #courtroom ♬ original sound - potatothugginnn

Twitter users have taken issue with Dragun's placement, labelling it transphobic.

"There is no reason she should have to stay in a men’s unit at jail," one user wrote. "We have GOT to have better accommodations for transgender people."

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This post was originally shared on 9th November, and has since been updated with new information. 

Feature Image: TMZ/Instagram @nikitadragun.

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