Villa, who was born in Russia and raised in the U.S. from a young age, moved to Moscow seeking refuge from American discrimination after an unsettling encounter with the police. She shared footage of her injuries after the attack, which she said was racially motivated. The assault adds cruel irony to her story, as she had previously lauded Russia as a racial haven compared to the U.S.

To be fair, she was born in Russia, so maybe that played a role? Either way, I agree - Russia is hardly progressive on racial politics let alone a safe place for ethnic minorities:

Racist attacks and killings of foreigners and ethnic minorities are reported with shocking regularity in Russia and, disturbingly, their frequency seems to be increasing. Victims whose cases have come to the attention of Amnesty International include students, asylum-seekers and refugees from Africa and Asia, as well as people from the south Caucasus, from South, Southeast and Central Asia, from the Middle East and from Latin America. However, citizens of the Russian Federation are no less at risk of physical attack. Anyone who does not look typically ethnic Russian, for example, individuals from ethnic groups of the North Caucasus, in particular Chechens, as well as members of the Jewish community, Roma and children of mixed parentage are at risk. Even ethnic Russians who are seen as sympathizing with foreigners or ethnic minority groups, for example, fans of rap or reggae music, members of other youth sub-cultures, and campaigners against racism, have also been targeted as they are perceived as “unpatriotic” or “traitors”. Attacks have been reported in towns and cities across the Russian Federation.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/eur460222006en.pdf