Imane Khelif: Cyberbullying Criminal Lawsuit Against JK Rowling, Elon Musk
Algerian boxer and newly crowned Olympic champion Imane Khelif has filed a criminal complaint with French authorities against author JK Rowling, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, and others for alleged “acts of aggravated cyber harassment.” The complaint, as reported by Variety, lodged by Khelif’s Paris-based attorney Nabil Boudi, targets individuals who participated in the online harassment Khelif faced during the 2024 Olympics, where she won gold in the women’s 66-kilogram boxing competition.
As the Olympics began in Paris last month, the boxer became the centre of a heated controversy surrounding her gender eligibility, despite being born female and backed by the International Olympic Committee.
Social media, particularly X, was flooded with accusations, with high-profile figures like Rowling, Musk, and Donald Trump amplifying the harassment. Rowling accused Khelif of being a man who “enjoyed the distress” of her opponent, while Musk endorsed a post claiming, “men don’t belong in women’s sports.” Trump also commented on the situation, vowing to “keep men out of women’s sports.”
Read also: “Journey Is Gold”: Imane Khelif An Olympic Boxing Champion Now
After sharing a currently deleted X thread, JK Rowling wrote: “Watch this (whole thread), then explain why you’re OK with a man beating a woman in public for your entertainment. This isn’t sport. From the bullying cheat in red all the way up to the organisers who allowed this to happen, this is men revelling in their power over women.”
Watch this (whole thread), then explain why you’re OK with a man beating a woman in public for your entertainment. This isn’t sport. From the bullying cheat in red all the way up to the organisers who allowed this to happen, this is men revelling in their power over women. https://t.co/u32FcDTy9p
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) August 1, 2024
Musk, who was seen endorsing and resharing many posts aimed at Khelif, was seen giving thumbs up to a tweet that said “Donald Trump says he will ban biological males from competing in women’s sports”.
Read also: When Men Could Not Accept Mirabai Chanu’s “Excuse”
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 1, 2024
Boudi said that the complaint is aimed at the authors of these messages, noting that the case could extend to personalities overseas. While some, like Logan Paul, have retracted their statements, Boudi insists the lawsuit and the investigation will proceed regardless of apologies.
This is crazy
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 30, 2024
Khelif’s coach, Pedro Diaz, revealed that the harassment deeply affected Khelif and those around her, yet she remained focused, ultimately securing a gold medal. Diaz described the victory as the most rewarding of his coaching career, despite the “disgusting” storm of online abuse Khelif endured.
Read also: “I Want To Apologise To Her”: Angela Carini To Imane Khelif Amid Olympics Gender Row
Seeded fifth in the women’s 66kg event, Imane Khelif won the Olympics gold on August9, becoming Algeria’s first female boxing gold medalist. She defeated Hungary’s Luca Hámori, Thailand’s Janjaem Suwannapheng, and China’s Yang Liu, marking Algeria’s first boxing gold since 1996 and first medal since 2000.
