Love Island star Anna Vakili and her sister Mandi were involved in a physical fight with a group of teenagers in Hyde Park on Monday.
In videos circulating on social media, Anna can be seen dragging a girl by her hair, before her sister Mandi kicks her in the head.
In a statement posted on Instagram, the pharmacist insisted she was acting in self-defence, after a gang of teens attacked her cousin.
“Since coming out of Love Island it’s become my normal for people to shout abuse at me in the streets and I have learned to turn a blind eye and remove myself from the situation,” she wrote.
Physically abusing a 16 year old and ripping off her clothes revealing her awrah, not just one but you and your sisters & friends do you have no shame?! Fame really gets to people’s head, they blocked everyone that tries to @ her how sickening @annavakili pic.twitter.com/GW1JJLssVQ
— Shams???? (@sldn95) May 26, 2020
“Yesterday I was having a picnic in the park with my sister, boyfriend and cousin when we were subjected to continuous verbal abuse from a group who came near us who were doing drugs.”
The 29-year-old continued:Â “Wanting to remove ourselves away from them we packed up to leave they came over swung at my cousin and threw her by her hair leaving her bleeding. Out of self-defence, we had to get them off of her and leave.”
“There was a large group of them and not many of us. These are not ‘innocent children’ the guys with them kept shouting they have a gun, and they tried to steal my sister’s phone.”
Anna then confirmed that the violent attack has been reported to the police.
“If you watch the long video that’s from far slowly. You will see they started attacking my cousin and swinging her on the floor by her hair. All these DMs and messages from people that weren’t even there,” she continued.
“Why would we randomly attack anyone ???? Use your brains. We were attacked verbally and physically first because they knew me. Everything we done was to protect ourselves and my cousin. Can’t even enjoy a picnic in peace. I’ve just had enough.”
In another post on her Instagram Story, Anna shared a photo of herself crying, and wrote:Â “I can’t get out of bed, I’m exhausted and sick of the abuse since coming off TV. And now accusations from a small clip which isn’t the full story.”
“Witnesses saw they attacked us for no reason. Anyone else trying to enjoy themselves on a picnic and their little cousin gets attacked bleeding for NO REASON what would they do?”
“Just because of fame you think you can tear me down. These people are winning – I hope you are all happy that they will continue to treat people this way because they can get away with it as the ‘victims’.”
“I don’t care about my image. God knows the truth. The world is unfair but God knows,” she added.
A representative for Anna also described the circumstances of the attack.
“Anna and Mandi Vakili and others in their group were involved in an unprovoked violent and verbal attack on Monday in Hyde Park which included Mandi and their cousin being hit and punched and the group of attackers attempting to steal their belongings,” the representative told the MailOnline.
“The very serious matter is now being dealt with the police as they were threatened with illegal weapons during the attack.”
On this week’s episode of the Gosscast Ali and Kendra talk about Ben Foden and wife Jackie’s dramatic birth, Kylie and Drake rumours and Lana Del Rey’s controversial statement.
The Gosscast is available on iTunes and Spotify
