Algerian boxer Imane Khelif names J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk in cyberbullying suit

Imane Khelif, an Olympic boxer from Algeria, has sued JK Rowling and Elon Musk for cyberbullying. Khelif reportedly filed a criminal complaint against French authorities for suspected “acts of aggravated cyber harassment,” according to a report in Variety. Variety was informed on Tuesday by lawyer Nabil Boudi that “JK Rowling and Elon Musk are named in the lawsuit, among others.” Donald Trump would also be looked into, according to Boudi. “Trump tweeted, so he will unavoidably be investigated as part of the prosecution whether or not he is named in our lawsuit,” he clarified.

Imane Khelif is suing the people who harassed her online during the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. The boxer from Algeria competed in the Olympics despite reportedly failing a gender test at a 2023 International Boxing Association competition. After Angela Carini, Khelif’s Italian opponent, pulled out of the fight in 46 seconds, a significant controversy broke out. After Khelif struck Carini twice in the face, she started crying. She retreated to her corner and cried out, “This is unfair,” as the 66-kilogram competition was canceled.

Eventually, Imane Khelif won gold at the Olympics in Paris in the 66kg division. She did, however, encounter a great deal of abuse on social media from people who claimed she was born a man or that she was transsexual. Among the prominent figures who joined the discussion was J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series. Khelif was branded by Rowling as a man who was “enjoying the distress of a woman he’s just punched in the head.”