Imane Khelif sues Donald Trump, J.K. Rowling, and Elon Musk for cyberbullying after Olympic win

A criminal complaint has been filed with French authorities accusing J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk of “acts of aggravated cyber harassment” against newly crowned Olympic champion and Algerian boxer Imane Khelif.

Nabil Boudi, the Paris-based lawyer representing Khelif, confirmed to Variety that both individuals were cited in the complaint, which was submitted to the anti-online hatred center of the Paris public prosecutor’s office on Friday. 

The lawsuit was filed against X, a term in French law indicating that it targets unknown individuals. This allows the prosecution to investigate all parties involved, including those who may have posted hateful messages under pseudonyms, according to Boudi. 

Despite this, the complaint still names well-known controversial figures.

“J. K. Rowling and Elon Musk are named in the lawsuit, among others,” Boudi stated, noting that Donald Trump would also be included in the investigation. “Trump tweeted, so whether or not he is named in our lawsuit, he will inevitably be looked into as part of the prosecution.”

Khelif, who won the Olympic gold medal in the women's 66-kilogram boxing category on Saturday, found herself at the heart of a contentious and widely publicized debate about her gender eligibility throughout the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Despite being born female, not identifying as transgender or intersex, and receiving support from the International Olympic Committee—which affirmed that “scientifically, this is not a man fighting a woman” —Khelif endured a wave of accusations and abuse regarding her gender.

The majority of the attacks were directed at Khelif on social media, especially on X/Twitter, and the controversy intensified when prominent figures became involved.

Rowling, in one post to her 14.2 million followers, shared a picture from Khelif’s fight with Italian boxer Angela Carini, accusing Khelif of being a man “enjoying the distress of a woman he’s just punched in the head.” Musk also weighed in, sharing a post from swimmer Riley Gaines that claimed “men don’t belong in women’s sports,” to which Musk responded, “Absolutely.” 

Trump also joined the discussion, posting a message alongside a picture from the fight with Carini, stating, “I will keep men out of women’s sports!”

Boudi explained that while the complaint does include specific names, “What we’re asking is that the prosecution investigates not only these people but whoever it feels necessary. If the case goes to court, they will stand trial.”

Boudi noted that although the lawsuit was filed in France, “it could target personalities overseas,” highlighting that “the prosecutor’s office for combating online hate speech has the possibility to make requests for mutual legal assistance with other countries.”

He also mentioned that there are agreements in place with the U.S. counterpart of the French office for combating online hate speech.

Logan Paul also joined in the social media attacks against Khelif, posting on X after her victory over Carini: “This is the purest form of evil unfolding right before our eyes. A man was allowed to beat up a woman on a global stage, crushing her life’s dream while fighting for her deceased father. This delusion must end.”

Paul later deleted the post and acknowledged that he “might be guilty of spreading misinformation.”

However, according to Bouli, apologies—including those Khelif received directly from prominent figures who posted derogatory comments—will not affect the investigation. “The lawsuit is filed and the facts remain,” he stated.

Regarding X, Boudi clarified that the complaint targets the individuals who made the social media posts, not the platforms themselves. “It’s the responsibility of lawmakers to issue sanctions to platforms, not ours,” he said.

However, he did mention that judicial authorities are now treating cyber harassment cases with greater seriousness, and in some instances, “there are prison sentences.”

Khelif’s coach, Pedro Diaz, told Variety that the bullying Khelif faced during the Olympics had a profound impact on her and “everyone around her.”

Diaz, who runs Miami-based Mundo Boxing Gym and began training with Khelif in February 2023, described the first time Khelif fought in the Olympics as occurring amid a "crazy storm" of negativity outside the ring. 

“I had never seen anything so disgusting in my life,”he said, despite having trained 21 Olympic champions before Khelif. Diaz mentioned he advised Khelif to avoid social media so she “wouldn’t lose her focus on winning the gold medal.”

“She’s so smart and has such an amazing motivation,” he said, noting that her gold medal win felt like the most fulfilling victory of his coaching career.