J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk named in Algerian Olympic gold-medalist Imane Khelif’s cyberbullying lawsuit
The lawsuit also includes former U.S. President Donald Trump in its scope of investigation
Gold medalist Algeria’s Imane Khelif kisses her medal for the women’s 66 kg final boxing match at the 2024 Summer Olympics
| Photo Credit: AP
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, recently crowned Olympic gold medalist, has filed a criminal complaint in France accusing high-profile figures, including J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk, of aggravated cyber harassment, in new reports from Variety. The lawsuit, lodged with the Paris public prosecutor’s anti-online hatred center, also includes former U.S. President Donald Trump in its scope of investigation.
The complaint centers on a barrage of online abuse Khelif faced following her victory in the women’s 66 kg boxing competition at the 2024 Olympics. Despite clear support from the International Olympic Committee regarding her eligibility, Khelif was subjected to intense scrutiny and derogatory comments, largely driven by misinformation about her gender.
Daniel Radcliffe expresses sadness over JK Rowling’s stance on transgender rights
Rowling and Musk’s involvement stems from their social media posts. Rowling, with 14.2 million followers, shared an image from Khelif’s fight, making a controversial claim about her gender. Musk echoed sentiments from swimmer Riley Gaines, sharing a post with the message “Absolutely,” which criticized Khelif’s participation in women’s sports. Trump also posted a critical message accompanied by a fight image.
Could any picture sum up our new men's rights movement better? The smirk of a male who's knows he's protected by a misogynist sporting establishment enjoying the distress of a woman he's just punched in the head, and whose life's ambition he's just shattered. #Paris2024pic.twitter.com/Q5SbKiksXQ
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) August 1, 2024
Paris-based attorney Nabil Boudi confirmed that while the complaint mentions these prominent figures, it seeks a broader investigation into all perpetrators of the online abuse, regardless of their identity or pseudonym. The lawsuit looks at the role of individual authors of the posts rather than the social media platforms themselves, though it highlights a growing seriousness in addressing cyber harassment.
X owner Elon Musk uses his ’free speech’ platform to amplify his views worldwide
Logan Paul, who initially criticized Khelif but later deleted his post and admitted to potentially spreading misinformation, is also named in the harassment claims. Despite public apologies, Boudi insists that the investigation will proceed based on the evidence of harassment.
Khelif’s coach, Pedro Diaz, described the impact of the cyberbullying on the athlete, underlining how it overshadowed her achievements and affected her focus during the Olympics.
Read Comments
- Copy link
- Telegram
READ LATER
Remove
SEE ALL
PRINT
Related Topics
Paris Olympics 2024
/
celebrity
/
sports disciplinary action
/
sports event
/
sport