June 18, 2025 The Newspaper Serving LGBT Los Angeles

One of Four of Hollywood Trans Woman’s Attackers Walks Free Five Years Later

Nicol Shakhnazaryan gets zero jail time.

Five years ago, Vivian Diego was walking to the Metro along Ivar Avenue. in Hollywood at around 2:30 a.m. when her life was changed forever.

The 22-year-old trans woman was met by a group of four young men, who engaged her in a verbal altercation and proceeded to brutally beat her. Diego was left for dead before being taken to Cedars-Sinai. There, she was treated for multiple serious injuries, including, according to the Advocate, “two fractured ribs, a shattered cheekbone, a broken jaw and damage to the temple.”

Though Vivian was not yet out to her family as a trans woman in 2013, she had been dressed up for a night out when her attackers saw her. CCTV footage showed the men verbally harassing Diego before getting physical. “I was being kicked on and punched on,” Diego told The Advocate. “And then, I wake up in the hospital.”Diego spent a week in the hospital recovering.

Even though trans visibility and the continuing issue of violence against trans woman wasn’t nearly as high on the radar in 2013 as it is today, Vivian’s story didn’t take long to spread across the country. Eva Longoria tweeted her support for Vivian after hearing about the attack. Later, famous attorney Gloria Allred took on Vivan Diego’s case.

Today, more than five years after the attack, police are still trying to apprehend the suspects in the case. Of the four men present, Nicol Shakhnazaryan is the only attacker who has been brought to court. This week, he was let off with probation, a court decision that has continued to stun and anger members of the L.A. queer community. Shakhnazaryan accepted a plea deal that allowed him to walk away without any jail time and a community service mandate of 30 days, which he has already served.

In Diego’s statement to the court, she outlined her violent abuse by her attackers, as well as her mistreatment by the opposition in court. “I suffer great anxiety not only from being brutally victimized, but also for being called an ‘it and a freak’ by Mark Geragos at one of the court hearings.” She wrote. “I have a permanent plate in my jaw area. I feel that the men that attacked me got off way too easy and that justice was not properly served…The nurse in ICU told me that whoever did this to me was trying to kill me. This feels like a very light punishment for men who had intended to kill me.”

Diego stressed that she still suffers from anxiety each day. Leaving the house has become a fearful activity. While the opposition tried to argue that Diego herself was the instigator and attacker, Gloria Allred dismissed these claims by pointing to the surveillance footage.

“I am afraid to ever go back to Hollywood again and it used to be one of my favorite places where I worked for five years.” Diego wrote. “Even though I suffer so much from what happened to me, I am still very thankful that I am here to tell my story. I want to let people know that being transgender does not mean that our lives are disposable. At the end of the day we are still human and we love and bleed the same way as others.”

Related Posts

Justice Served by the Slice: L.A. Chefs Rally for Pies for Justice Fundraiser

June 18, 2025

June 18, 2025

Sweet, Savory, and Pizza Pies to Support Foster Youth and Civil Rights Chefs and restaurants from across Los Angeles and...

Downtown Santa Monica Goes All Out for Family-Friendly Pride Celebration

June 17, 2025

June 17, 2025

SaMo Pride’s Biggest Celebration: Live Music, LGBTQ+ Vendors, Giveaways Downtown Santa Monica will come alive with color, music, and celebration...

Trump Executive Order Lets VA Doctors Deny Care to Trans Patients or Marital Status

June 17, 2025

June 17, 2025

New VA Policy Tied to Anti-Trans Order May Allow Refusals of Treatment Medical professionals across the Department of Veterans Affairs...

Journalist Files Lawsuit After Being Hit by ‘Less Lethal’ Munition Fired by Sheriff’s Deputies

June 17, 2025

June 17, 2025

LASD Faces Legal Claim After Journalist Wounded at Anti-Ice Rally  Independent photojournalist Nick Stern has filed a civil rights claim...

CAP UCLA’s 2025–26 Season Spotlights Queer Voices, Global Visionaries, and Musical Trailblazers

June 17, 2025

June 17, 2025

The New Lineup Celebrates Boundary-Pushing Performances Across Disciplines The UCLA Center for the Art of Performance (CAP UCLA) has announced...

Cedars-Sinai Seeks Public’s Help Identifying Unconscious Man Found in Beverly Grove

June 17, 2025

June 17, 2025

Man Remains Hospitalized After Being Discovered Near Cedars Sinai Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying...

US Marines Temporarily Detain Civilian Near Federal Building in West Los Angeles

June 17, 2025

June 17, 2025

Military Confirms First Known Detention by Active-Duty Troops Deployed by Trump U.S. Marines temporarily detained a civilian near the Wilshire...

Judge Orders NIH to Reinstate LGBTQ+ Health Research Grants Cut Under Trump Policies

June 17, 2025

June 17, 2025

Federal Court Finds Dei-Related Grant Cancellations Unlawful; Ruling Restores Funding Funding for hundreds of medical research projects, including critical studies...

GLAAD and eBay Launch Celebrity Auction for Pride Month, Up for Bid Through June 26

June 16, 2025

June 16, 2025

Exclusive experiences with Shakira, Orville Peck, Andy Cohen, Dylan Efron, and More  GLAAD and eBay have joined forces to launch...

Tyler Malek Celebrates New Ice Cream Cookbook With Sweet Pop-Ups in West Hollywood

June 16, 2025

June 16, 2025

Chef to Appear at Book Soup and Debut Limited-Edition Matcha Sandwich at GGiata Tyler Malek, co-founder and head chef of...

(Video) Home Front Build Maintains Original Architectural Vision For Modern Homes

June 16, 2025

June 16, 2025

For More Information, Go to homefrontbuild.com For More Information, Go to https://t.co/kip9luQwxX pic.twitter.com/sTuVgfiGkj — Palisades News (@PalisadesNewsLA) June 16, 2025

Nearly One Thousand Rally in West Hollywood to Protest ICE Raids and Trump Policies

June 16, 2025

June 16, 2025

‘No Kings’ Demonstration Draws Large, Peaceful Crowd Through the Rainbow District West Hollywood was the site of another ‘No Kings”...

Tribeca Premiere Honors Carl Bean, Musician, Activist and LGBTQ+ Faith Leader

June 15, 2025

June 15, 2025

New Doc Features Interviews With Lady Gaga, Billy Porter, and Dionne Warwick The life and legacy of Archbishop Carl Bean,...

Americans Split on Immigration and Tariffs’ Impact on Housing Affordability, Survey Shows

June 15, 2025

June 15, 2025

Survey Finds Over Half Believe Less Immigration Could Drive Up Home Prices  A new Redfin-commissioned survey reveals that U.S. homeowners...

Two Suspects Arrested in Fatal Stabbing of Elderly Man in Hancock Park

June 15, 2025

June 15, 2025

LAPD and FBI Apprehend Palmdale Pair Accused of Killing 84-Year-Old LAPD West Bureau Homicide has arrested two suspects in connection...