Elon Musk and J.K. Rowling have been named in a lawsuit filed with French authorities, alleging their involvement in cyber harassment against Olympic champion boxer Imane Khelif.
The criminal complaint was submitted to the Paris public prosecutor’s office last Friday, according to Nabil Boudi, Khelif’s attorney.
Boudi confirmed to Variety that the lawsuit includes Rowling, Musk, and other unnamed individuals. “J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk are named in the lawsuit, among others,” Boudi stated. He also noted that former President Donald Trump’s tweets may be investigated as part of the prosecution, though Trump is not directly named in the lawsuit.
The legal action targets X, the social media platform Musk owns, accusing it of enabling “acts of aggravated cyber harassment.” The lawsuit has been filed against X under French law, which involves pursuing unknown persons for such claims. Boudi emphasized that lawmakers are responsible for imposing sanctions on platforms, not that of the plaintiffs.
Khelif, who made history as Algeria’s first Olympic gold medalist in women’s boxing and the first Algerian boxer to win gold since 1996, has faced controversy over her eligibility.
Last year, she was disqualified from the Women’s World Championships due to issues with the International Boxing Association’s (IBA) gender eligibility rules. Khelif has consistently competed in the women’s division and identifies as female.
Rowling, a prominent critic of Khelif’s participation, shared a post on X featuring an image of Italian boxer Angela Carini in distress after withdrawing from a fight against Khelif. Rowling commented on the photo: “Could any picture sum up our new men’s rights movement better?” She criticized the sporting establishment for allegedly protecting Khelif and undermining female competitors.
Musk contributed to the controversy by sharing a post from American swimmer Riley Gaines, who wrote, “Men don’t belong in women’s sports,” with Musk adding, “Absolutely.”
On Truth Social, Trump stated, “I will keep men out of women’s sports.”
Following her gold medal win in Paris, Khelif responded to her critics, labelling them “the enemies of success.” She asserted her identity and qualifications, saying, “I’m fully qualified, I’m a woman, I was born a woman, I lived a woman, there’s no doubt about that.” Khelif expressed hope that the Olympic Charter’s values would be upheld and that similar attacks would not occur in future Olympic events.
