J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk Named in French Cyber Harassment Complaint
“Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk have been named in a criminal complaint filed with French authorities, alleging “acts of aggravated cyber harassment” against Algerian boxer and newly crowned Olympic champion Imane Khelif, as reported by Variety. European laws against hate speech are different than those in the U.S. and frequently are even more stringent.
A complaint was filed with the anti-online hatred center of the Paris public prosecutor’s office on Friday, mentioning Rowling and Musk. As part of the broader investigation, the complaint also references former U.S. President Donald Trump. Khelif’s French attorney, Nabil Boudi, confirmed to Variety that the lawsuit had been filed using standard legal practice in France, which allows for numerous others to be part of an investigation without having to name every single person who could be part of a lawsuit, known as filing “against X.”
This approach ensures that the prosecution has the latitude to investigate all individuals involved, including those who may have posted hateful messages under pseudonyms, Boudi explained. “J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk are named in the lawsuit, among others,” he said. He also noted that Trump’s involvement in the investigation is likely due to his public statements on the matter.
Khelif, who was born a woman, was subjected to international mockery and derision as the false accusation that she was a man or intersex spread through social media trolling and weaponized rumors. Despite being born female and not identifying as transgender or intersex—and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) releasing a press statement that said, “scientifically, this is not a man fighting a woman”—Khelif faced widespread accusations and abuse about her gender.
In one instance, Rowling, known for her controversial views on transgender people, tweeted to her 14.2 million followers, posting a picture from Khelif’s fight with Italian boxer Angela Carini. Rowling accused Khelif of “enjoying the distress of a woman he’s just punched in the head.” and deliberately misgendering her. Musk, the owner of Twitter, retweeted a post from swimmer Riley Gaines claiming that “men don’t belong in women’s sports,” captioning the retweet with the word, “Absolutely.” Trump joined the chorus, posting a message with a picture from the fight, stating, “I will keep men out of women’s sports!”
Boudi emphasized that while the complaint names specific individuals, the prosecution is expected to investigate anyone deemed necessary. “If the case goes to court, they will stand trial,” Boudi said.
He also noted that although the lawsuit was filed in France, it could potentially target individuals overseas. Boudi pointed out that the prosecutor’s office for combating online hate speech could seek mutual legal assistance from other countries, including the U.S. who have cooperative agreements.
