J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk have been named as defendants in a cyberbullying lawsuit filed in France by Olympic gold medal-winning boxer Imane Khelif.
Kherif, who sparked a global debate over gender eligibility during her Olympic appearance, became Algeria’s first women’s boxing gold medalist and the first boxer to win gold since 1996.
Her lawyer, Nabil Boudi, said on Wednesday that he filed a criminal complaint with the Paris prosecutor’s office on Friday for alleged “acts of cyber harassment.”
Variety reports that the lawsuit was filed against X, which under French law is an unidentified person, and that the 25-year-old was the victim of “misogynistic, racist and sexist” cyberbullying.
This “ensures that prosecutors have full powers to investigate anyone, including those who may have written anonymous hate messages,” Boudy said.
The lawyer added that prominent figures were also named in the complaint: “J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk are among those named in the lawsuit,” he said, adding that Donald Trump could also be targeted in the investigation.
“Because Trump tweeted, he will inevitably be investigated as part of the prosecution, whether or not he is named in our case.”
Kherif faced criticism over his gender after it was revealed he was barred from competing in the 2023 World Boxing Championships after failing a gender eligibility test administered by the International Boxing Association (IBA).
But the International Olympic Committee (IOC) protested the tests and, ahead of the Paris Games, stripped the IBA of its recognition as boxing’s governing body and banned it from the Olympics, citing issues including corruption, financial transparency and governance.
Khelif was born female and does not identify as transgender or intersex. The IOC has defended her gender, saying “scientifically speaking, this is not a battle between men and women.”
The issue gained widespread attention after Italian boxer Angela Carini retired from a 66kg bout against Kheriff after just 46 seconds, claiming she had “never been hit like that before.”
Kheriff then came under fire, mainly on social media, especially through X. The comments escalated when high-profile people began posting about the issue.
In a message to X’s 14.2 million followers, Rowling posted a photo of a fight between Kheriff and Karini, writing: “A man who knows he is protected by a misogynistic sports world smirks as he revels in the anguish of a woman he has just hit over the head, a woman whose life ambitions have been dashed.”
In another tweet, the Harry Potter author said: “I’m not arguing that Kheriff is transgender. What I and many others are opposed to is male violence against women becoming an Olympic sport.”
Musk, who owns X, shared a post by US swimmer Riley Gaines saying “men don’t belong in women’s sports”, adding: “So true.”
Meanwhile, Trump posted a photo of the game with the message, “I will keep boys out of girls’ sports!”
Bowdy told Variety that although the complaint names people, “what we’re asking is for prosecutors to investigate not just these people, but anyone else they feel is necessary,” adding that “when this case goes to court, they will be brought to justice.”
The lawyer said the lawsuit had been filed in France but “it is possible that individuals abroad could be targeted.”
Kherif’s coach, Pedro Diaz, said the bullying she experienced during the Olympics “had an incredible impact on herself and everyone around her”.
“The first time she fought at the Olympics, there was a lot of chaos outside the ring,” said Diaz, who has trained 21 Olympic champions before Kheriff. “I’ve never seen anything so bad in my life.”
After her win over China’s Yang Liu on Saturday, Kherif said: “I am more than qualified to take part in this tournament. I am a woman just like any other woman. I was born a woman, I have lived as a woman and I have competed as a woman. There is no doubt about that.”
“(Deviants) are the enemies of success, that’s what I call them. And these attacks add a special flavor to my success.”
