J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk both named in criminal lawsuit filed by Olympic champion Imane Khelif

Nabil Boudi, Khelif’s Paris-based attorney, confirmed to Variety that both individuals were mentioned in the complaint, which was submitted to the anti-online hatred center of the Paris public prosecutor’s office on Friday. The lawsuit was filed against X (formerly Twitter), which under French law means it targets unknown persons, allowing the prosecution to investigate anyone involved, including those using pseudonyms.

Although the complaint mentions well-known figures, including Rowling and Musk, Boudi noted that Donald Trump would also be part of the investigation due to his involvement. “Trump tweeted, so whether or not he is named in our lawsuit, he will inevitably be looked into as part of the prosecution,” Boudi said.

Khelif, who won the Olympic gold medal in the women’s 66-kilogram boxing competition on Saturday, became the center of a global controversy during the 2024 Paris Olympics over her gender eligibility. Despite being born female and not identifying as transgender or intersex—backed by the International Olympic Committee, which stated, “scientifically, this is not a man fighting a woman”—Khelif faced a barrage of accusations and abuse on social media, particularly on X/Twitter.

The situation escalated when high-profile figures like Rowling, Musk, and Trump weighed in. Rowling, in a message to her 14.2 million followers, 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 amplified the controversy by sharing a post from swimmer Riley Gaines claiming “men don’t belong in women’s sports,” to which he added, “Absolutely.” Trump also posted a picture from the fight with Carini, stating, “I will keep men out of women’s sports!”

Variety — August 13, 2024