Elon Musk, J.K. Rowling Accused of Cyberbullying by Algerian Boxer in Lawsuit

J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk might face serious consequences after being among the numerous individuals who shared or reposted transphobic social media posts targeting Algerian boxer and Olympic medalist, Imane Khelif.

Despite Khelif’s remarkable achievement of winning a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, her performance was overshadowed by global backlash over her gender eligibility. Although she was born female and does not identify as transgender or intersex, and despite receiving official backing from the International Olympic Committee, which confirmed that “scientifically, this is not a man fighting a woman,” Khelif was inundated with accusations and abuse regarding her gender throughout the games.

In response, Khelif has lodged a criminal complaint with French authorities concerning alleged “acts of aggravated cyber harassment.” This complaint specifically mentions J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk, as reported by Variety. The lawsuit was filed with the anti-online hatred center of the Paris Prosecutor’s Office on Friday, August 9, prompting an investigation.

“On August 13, the National Center for the Fight Against Online Hatred contacted the OCLCH (Central Office for the Fight Against Crimes Against Humanity and Hate Crimes) to conduct an investigation into the counts of cyber harassment due to gender, public insult because of gender, public incitement to discrimination, and public insult because of origin,” stated the Paris Prosecutor’s Office.

The suit was filed against “X,” a term used in French law to indicate that the defendants are unknown individuals. This allows the prosecution to investigate all potentially guilty parties who may have posted hateful messages under their real names or pseudonyms.

Khelif’s Paris-based attorney, Nabil Boudi, confirmed that “J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk are named in the lawsuit, among others.” Notably, Donald Trump is also part of the investigation. “Trump tweeted, so whether or not he is named in our lawsuit, he will inevitably be looked into as part of the prosecution,” Boudi stated.

Rowling allegedly shared a picture from Khelif’s fight with Italian boxer Angela Carini, accusing Khelif of being a man who was “enjoying the distress of a woman he’s just punched in the head.” Musk responded to a post by swimmer Riley Gaines, who asserted that “Men don’t belong in women’s sports,” which Musk concurred with by writing, “Absolutely.” Trump also joined the fray by sharing a picture from Khelif’s fight with Carini, commenting, “I will keep men out of women’s sports!”

Logan Paul was also accused of attacking Khelif on social media, following her victory over Carini. He tweeted that the win was “the purest form of evil unfolding right before our eyes. A man was allowed to beat up a woman on a global stage, crushing her life’s dream while fighting for her deceased father.” Paul later deleted the post and admitted to “spreading misinformation.”

“What we’re asking is that the prosecution investigates not only these people but whoever it feels necessary. If the case goes to court, they will stand trial,” Boudi stressed.

Khelif’s coach, Pedro Diaz, revealed that the cyberbullying during the Paris Olympics had a profound impact on her and everyone around her. “The first time she fought in the Olympics, there was this crazy storm outside of the ring,” Diaz said. Having started training with Khelif in February 2023, he admitted, “I’ve never seen anything so disgusting in my life.” He encouraged Khelif to stay off social media during the games to maintain her focus on winning the gold medal.

Diaz praised Khelif’s intelligence and motivation, highlighting that her gold medal win felt like the most rewarding victory of his career as a coach.

Source: Variety