Eva Harrelson, a 21-year-old from Byron Bay, has accepted that she assaulted a friend during a jealous argument over a man in Melbourne on 22 June. The incident occurred after Harrelson and the victim argued for an hour in her bedroom about a "male associate" they had both recently met; during this altercation, Harrelson struck the victim across the face whilst she was sitting on the bed, causing her to be knocked over. The assault prompted the victim to contact her brother via Instagram from the bathroom before reporting the incident to police.

Harrelson appeared in Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Tuesday representing herself, where she admitted to striking the victim but disputed the severity, describing it as "an open-hand slap" rather than a closed fist as the victim had claimed. The 21-year-old, who works as a roustabout and posts influencer-style content on Instagram, told the court she had taken full accountability, apologised in writing to the victim, and sought psychological support for mental health and impulse control issues. The court granted her diversion, meaning the matter will be discharged in 12 months provided there are no further offences.