Former Love Island star Shaughna Phillips has opened up about her experience of reporting an alleged sexual assault, sharing the emotional journey she has been unable to speak about publicly until now following the conclusion of criminal proceedings.

In a series of Instagram posts, Phillips revealed that in 2021 she accused a massage therapist of sexually assaulting her during an appointment. She explained that immediately after leaving, she messaged her mum to tell her that something had happened and later told her partner, Billy, what she had experienced while they were in bed that evening. Those conversations would later become key pieces of evidence during the court process.

Phillips admitted that when she first reported the incident to police, she believed she was the only complainant and expected little to happen after giving her statement. However, she later discovered she was the ninth person to make allegations against the same man, with complaints spanning four police forces across the UK.

She wrote:

"I was shocked, upset, angry, confused."

As the investigation progressed, Phillips was informed that the man had been arrested and charged. In total, he faced 31 counts of sexual assault, with four relating to Phillips and the remaining 27 involving 13 other complainants, all of whom were strangers to one another.

She praised West Midlands Police for the way they handled the investigation, saying officers kept her informed throughout the process, treated her with compassion and validated what she had experienced.

A trial was scheduled for September 2024, but Phillips admitted one of the hardest aspects was knowing the man's massage business was still operating. Although his bail conditions prevented him from carrying out massages himself, she questioned how those restrictions could realistically be monitored. She also explained that because of the ongoing legal proceedings she was unable to speak publicly, meaning women could continue attending the practice without knowing about the allegations that had been made.

Reflecting on the night before she was due to give evidence, Phillips said she stayed in a Birmingham hotel with her one-year-old daughter, a child who had not even been born when the alleged assault occurred. Looking at her daughter reinforced why she was glad she had chosen to report the incident, despite initially believing it would simply be her word against his.

She wrote:

"I want to set an example for not just my daughters, but for every girl that behaviour HAS to be called out for what it is. Every. Single. Time."

Phillips explained that when she entered the courtroom she felt unexpectedly calm because, in her words, all she had to do was tell the truth. She gave her evidence from behind a screen so she did not have to see the defendant in court.

She also revealed that during cross-examination, the defence suggested she was seeking publicity, something she said she understood was part of the barrister's role. However, she remained confident because she had the messages she sent immediately after the alleged assault and knew there were multiple complainants involved in the case.

After two weeks of evidence, the jury retired to consider its verdict. Phillips explained that the panel consisted of 10 women and two men. Ultimately, the defendant was found not guilty of more than 20 charges, while the jury was unable to reach verdicts on several others. The four charges relating to Phillips all resulted in not guilty verdicts.

A second trial took place in June 2026 to consider the outstanding charges on which the first jury had been unable to reach decisions. Phillips said the defendant was again found not guilty on some counts, while jurors were unable to reach verdicts on the remaining allegations. Following the second trial, the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to pursue a third prosecution.

Speaking publicly for the first time since the conclusion of the case, Phillips acknowledged that the outcome was not what she, or the other women involved, had hoped for. At the same time, she said she accepted that the verdicts were reached through the legal system and that those decisions had to be respected.

Despite everything she experienced over the past five years, Phillips said she has no regrets about coming forward.

She wrote:

"Would I go through this whole process again, knowing what the outcome would be? Yes. Unequivocally yes."

She concluded by urging anyone who experiences abuse not to stay silent, stressing the importance of speaking up, not only for themselves but for future generations.

Phillips wrote:

"We must never allow abuse of any kind to go unspoken about. We must continue to speak up not just for ourselves, but for the generation of girls that come after us. For the girls we are raising, who I hope live in a world where they are believed. Where their voice is and will always be enough."

Her post prompted an outpouring of support across social media, while also reigniting debate around the criminal justice system and how sexual assault cases are handled.

One person commented:

"And this is exactly the reason women don't speak up…"

Another wrote:

"Yeah I'm all for innocent until proven guilty, because there are enough innocent men in these situations, but Stevie Wonder could see this man was guilty! How do you get 14 strangers all saying the same thing and still find him innocent? His name needs to be exposed to protect other women!"

A third commented:

"This is terrifying. The system enables men to operate without fear or repercussions."

While the legal proceedings have now come to an end and no further trial will take place, Phillips says she hopes that by finally sharing her experience, other survivors will feel empowered to use their voices, regardless of the outcome they may ultimately face.