by JK Rowling and Elon Musk are named in a cyberbullying lawsuit filed in France by Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif.
Khelif, who was the subject of a worldwide gender suitability debate during her Olympic participation, became Algeria’s first gold medalist in women’s boxing and the first female boxer to win gold since 1996.
Their lawyer Nabil Boudi said on Wednesday that they had filed a criminal complaint with the Paris public prosecutor’s office on Friday for alleged “cyber harassment”.
The lawsuit was filed against X, which under French law means it was filed against unknown persons, Variety reported. It alleges the 25-year-old was the victim of “misogynistic, racist and sexist” cyberbullying.
This will “ensure that the public prosecutor’s office has all the freedom to investigate all persons,” including those who may have written hate messages under pseudonyms, Boudi said.
The lawyer added that famous people were also mentioned in the lawsuit. “The lawsuit names JK Rowling and Elon Musk, among others,” he said, adding that Donald Trump could also be part of the investigation.
“Trump tweeted, so he will inevitably be investigated under the prosecution whether he is named in our complaint or not.”
Khelif faced allegations regarding her gender after it was revealed that she was disqualified from participating in the 2023 World Boxing Championships because she failed a gender aptitude test conducted by the International Boxing Association (IBA).
However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) challenged this test and, ahead of the events in Paris, stripped the IBA of its recognition as boxing’s governing body and excluded it from the Olympic Games due to issues such as corruption, financial transparency and governance.
Khelif was born female and has never identified as transgender or intersex. The IOC confirmed her gender, saying: “Scientifically speaking, this is not a case of a man competing against a woman.”
The issue attracted widespread attention after Italian boxer Angela Carini stopped her fight against Khelif in the 66 kg boxing competition after just 46 seconds, claiming: “I have never felt a punch like that.”
Khelif was subsequently inundated with insults, mainly on social media, particularly on X. The comments escalated after well-known personalities began posting on the subject.
In a message to her 14.2 million followers on X, Rowling posted a picture of Khelif’s fight with Carini and wrote: “The grin of a man who knows he is protected by a misogynistic sporting establishment, and who delights in the grief of a woman he has just punched in the head and whose life ambitions he has just destroyed.”
In another tweet, the Harry Potter author said: “I am not saying Khelif is trans. My objection, and that of many others, is that male violence against women is becoming an Olympic sport.”
Musk, who owns X, shared a post by US swimmer Riley Gaines that said, “Men don’t belong in women’s sports,” adding, “Absolutely.”
Meanwhile, Trump posted a picture of the fight, along with the message: “I will keep men out of women’s sports!”
Boudi told Variety that while the lawsuit names names, “we are demanding that the prosecution investigate not just these individuals, but anyone they deem necessary.” He added, “If the case goes to trial, they will be brought to justice.”
The lawyer said that although the lawsuit was filed in France, “it could be directed against personalities abroad.”
Khelif’s coach Pedro Diaz said the bullying the boxer endured during the Olympics had “incredibly affected her and everyone around her.”
“The first time she fought in the Olympics, there was a crazy storm outside the ring,” said Diaz, who had trained 21 Olympic champions before Khelif. “I’ve never seen anything so disgusting in my life.”
After her victory on Saturday over China’s Yang Liu, Khelif said: “I am fully qualified to take part in this competition. I am a woman like any other woman. I was born a woman, I lived as a woman, I competed as a woman, there is no doubt about that.”
“[The detractors] are enemies of success, that’s what I call them. And that gives my success a special flavor through these attacks.”
