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Tesla TSLA+3.38% CEO Elon Musk and Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling are both named in the body of a French criminal complaint over alleged acts of cyber harassment against Algerian boxer Imane Khelif.
Though the suit names Musk and Rowling, it was filed against X, formerly Twitter — a move intended to give prosecutors “latitude to be able to investigate against all people,” Khelif’s attorney Nabil Boudi told Variety.
Khelif’s gold-winning participation in the 2024 Paris Olympics sparked significant discussion, false claims, and misinformation about her gender. The controversy escalated when public figures including Rowling, Musk and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump publicly commented on the situation.
Although Khelif is a cisgender woman, Rowling posted on X: “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.”
Trump also got involved by sharing a video of the short fight on his social media platform, Truth Social, and promising to “KEEP MEN OUT OF WOMEN’S SPORTS!” He referenced the video again in an interview with Fox Business FOXA+0.67%, stating, “There will be no men playing in women’s sports when we’re elected.”
Similarly, Musk posted a photo of Khelif’s opponent with the message, “Men don’t belong in women’s sports,” adding, “Absolutely.”
Variety reported that the investigation will probe comments from Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump as well as Musk and Rowling. “Trump tweeted, so whether or not he is named in our lawsuit, he will inevitably be looked into as part of the prosecution,” Boudi told Variety.
The Algerian gold medalist, who does not identify as transgender or intersex, expressed that she was ‘hurt’ by the harassment. She was seen celebrating her victory alongside her fellow champions during Sunday night’s closing ceremony at the Stade de France in Paris.