Content creator Vlad Ncl is speaking out after being punched during his first IRL broadcast in Ireland, an incident that quickly spread across the internet.
Vlad, who presents as a woman in his content, was approached by a man on the street while filming. After engaging in casual conversation, the man asked him to come home with him. When Vlad gave a playful non-answer about gender, the situation turned physical and he was punched on camera.
In a follow-up video, Vlad addressed the wave of online commentary, much of which, he noted, leaned in favor of the man who hit him.
“Those series are back after very popular request,” he told viewers, referencing his “I Investigate Ireland as a Woman” series, which the footage will be featured in.
Vlad pushed back on criticism asking why he did not fight back. “It’s pretty public that I had jaw surgery 3 months ago and that thing needs a minimum of 6 months to heal,” he explained, adding that he was also wearing heels, holding a purse, and managing a tripod at the time.
He also took aim at the contradictions he saw in right-wing commentary defending the attacker. “How can you hate a behavior and then embrace it?” he asked, pointing out that the man was later identified as a d**g dealer, two things he noted that the same crowd typically condemns.
On accusations that his content is transphobic, Vlad was direct. He argued that far from putting trans women in danger, his content actually highlights the risks they face.
“Instead of actually me embracing the problem, I’m actually highlighting the danger that trans women are facing on a daily basis,” he said, drawing a parallel to how his work previously raised awareness about the dangers women encounter.
Vlad also opened up about his difficult personal history, sharing that he was raised by an immigrant mother while fleeing an abusive, alcoholic father. He described enduring psychological abuse throughout her childhood, beginning manual labor at 13, and suffering a knee injury a doctor said might never fully heal. His brother was also m**dered during this period, leaving him living in daily fear.
Rather than letting these experiences define him negatively, Vlad said they gave him perspective. “The worst part of my life is behind me,” he said. “Anything else is so much easier.”
