Imane Khelif Takes Legal Action Against J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk for Alleged Cyberbullying

Khelif’s complaint claims that she has been subjected to “moral harassment” on a “widespread” and “coordinated” level.

Olympic gold medalist Imane Khelif has filed a harassment complaint in France against Elon Musk, J.K. Rowling, and other public figures, alleging their involvement in a “massive” cyberbullying campaign. The complaint accuses them of labeling her as a predatory and abusive “biological male.”

The controversy began during the women’s 66 kilogram boxing competition at the Paris Olympics earlier this month. Khelif’s opponent, Angela Carini of Italy, forfeited their match after just 46 seconds, claiming that Khelif’s punches were the hardest she had ever experienced. This incident, combined with claims from the International Boxing Association—now disaffiliated from the International Olympic Committee (IOC)—about a 2023 “gender test,” sparked a social media uproar. Rowling joined the fray, accusing Khelif of being a “biological male” who was “enjoying the distress of a woman he’s [sic] just punched in the head.”

Khelif’s complaint, which has not been publicly disclosed but was reviewed by French newspaper Le Monde this week, alleges that she is the target of “moral harassment” on a “massive” and “coordinated” scale. The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed to Variety that the complaint was received on Monday. Rather than naming specific individuals, the complaint is filed against X (formerly Twitter), a common legal strategy in France that enables investigators to identify potential responsible parties, according to the Associated Press.

Rowling, one of the most prominent social media figures named in the complaint, had not posted on X since August 7 at the time of writing. X owner Elon Musk is also named in the complaint due to a post he shared from anti-trans athlete Riley Gaines, who stated that “men don’t belong in women’s sports,” to which Musk responded, “Absolutely.” The complaint also cites statements from far-right politicians globally, including Donald Trump and J.D. Vance, the Republican candidates for U.S. president and vice president. Trump leveraged the controversy to reaffirm his commitment to “keep men out of women’s sports” during a campaign event in Montana, while Vance referred to Khelif as a “biological man” who “pummeled” Carini. The complaint also notes that Khelif was targeted by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and right-wing French politicians Philippe Vardon and Gilbert Collard, according to Le Monde.

“What we’re asking is that the prosecution investigates not only these individuals but anyone deemed necessary,” Khelif’s lawyer, Nabil Boudi, told Variety. “If the case goes to court, they will stand trial.” Boudi added that the prosecutor’s office has the authority to “target personalities overseas” in cases of online harassment, pointing out that there are prison sentences in some French cyberbullying cases.

Khelif has never publicly identified as intersex and resides in Algeria, where being gay or transgender is illegal. Reports about her having high testosterone levels or XY chromosomes are based solely on an IBA statement from last year, which accused Khelif and Chinese boxer Lin Yu-ting of failing gender eligibility tests. Earlier this month, the IBA issued a statement to clarify the testing process, timeline, and findings. However, the IOC no longer recognizes the IBA as an international boxing authority, partly due to allegations of prize- and match-fixing.

In an interview with SNTV, the sports affiliate of the Associated Press, Khelif condemned cyberbullying and said that misinformation about her gender “harms human dignity.”

“I urge everyone to uphold the Olympic principles and the Olympic Charter and to avoid bullying athletes, as it has profound effects,” Khelif said in Arabic. “It can destroy people, undermine their spirit and mind, and create divisions. For these reasons, I ask them to refrain from bullying.”