JK ROWLING and Elon Musk have been named in Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif’s cyberbullying lawsuit in France.
Algeria’s first women’s boxing gold medallist, who was subjected to a global gender eligibility row during her time competing at the Olympic games in Paris, has filed a criminal complaint over alleged “acts of cyber-harassment”.
Nabil Boudi, the Paris-based attorney of Khelif, confirmed to Variety that both Rowling and Musk were named in the complaint which was made to the anti-online hatred center of the Paris Prosecutor’s Office on Friday last week.
In a statement sent to the news publisher, the Paris Prosecutor’s Office National Center for the Fight Against Online Hatred confirmed it received the complaint filed by Khelif and announced that an investigation had been launched.
Boudi also told Variety that although the complaint mentions names, he wants the prosecution to investigate “whoever it feels necessary” and “if the case goes to court, they will stand trial”.
The lawyer said that while the lawsuit was filed in France, “it could target personalities overseas”.
The lawsuit claims the 25-year-old had been the victim of “misogynistic, racist and sexist” cyberbullying while competing at the Olympic Games.
After Khelif (below) beat Angela Carini at the tournament, Rowling posted a picture on X/Twitter of the Italian boxer crying after she chose to abandon the match after 46 seconds, which said: “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.”
In another tweet, the Harry Potter author said: “I don’t claim Khelif is trans. My objection, and that of many others, is to male violence against women becoming an Olympic sport.”
Meanwhile, after the match Musk, who owns X/Twitter, shared a post from American swimmer Riley Gaines that said: “Men don’t belong in women’s sports.”
He added: “Absolutely.”
Former US president Donald Trump, who Boudi said could also be investigated, took to social media to post a picture from the fight with the message: “I will keep men out of women’s sports!”
Khelif faced a whirlwind of accusations over her gender during her time at the games when it was revealed she had been banned from competing in the 2023 Boxing World Championship because she failed a gender eligibility test conducted by the International Boxing Association (IBA).
However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) disputed this test, and before the Paris events stripped the IBA of recognition as boxing’s governing body.
It also expelled the IBA from the Olympics over issues including corruption, financial transparency and governance.
The Algerian’s coach, Pedro Diaz, said the bullying the boxer endured during the Olympics “incredibly affected her” and “everyone around her”.
He added: “I had never seen anything so disgusting in my life.”
Khelif went on to become Algeria’s first gold medallist in women’s boxing at the Olympic Games and the country’s first boxer to win a gold medal since 1996.
