Sports
JK Rowling, Elon Musk sued for cyberbullying Olympic women’s boxing champion
Imane Khelif accuses author, mogul of online harassment
Author JK Rowling has been uncharacteristically silent on social media in the 24 hours since she and the world’s richest person — Elon Musk — reportedly were named in a criminal complaint filed with French authorities by a female Olympian boxer from Algeria.
Variety reported on Tuesday that the lawsuit alleges they committed “acts of aggravated cyber harassment” against newly crowned Olympic champion Imane Khelif during the Paris Summer Games. Khelif is a woman who has been accused of being a man, of being transgender, and of cheating to compete in the Olympics.
Nabil Boudi, the Paris-based attorney of Khelif, confirmed to Variety that both Musk and Rowling were mentioned in the complaint, which was posted on Aug. 9 to the anti-online hatred center of the Paris Prosecutor’s Office.
The Paris Prosecutor’s Office’s National Center for the Fight Against Online Hatred confirmed in a statement to Variety that it received the complaint filed by Khelif, and announced it had launched an investigation that would include anti-transgender comments by GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump.
“On Aug. 13, (The National Center for the Fight Against Online Hatred) contacted the OCLCH (Central Office for the Fight Against Crimes Against Humanity and Hate Crimes) to conduct an investigation into the counts of cyber harassment due to gender, public insult because of gender, public incitement to discrimination and public insult because of origin.”
Although the lawsuit names “X,” that does not represent the social media platform owned by Musk that had been known as Twitter. Under French law, “X” means that the lawsuit was filed against unknown persons, to “ensure that the ‘prosecution has all the latitude to be able to investigate against all people,” including those who may have written hateful messages under pseudonyms, said Boudi.
“JK Rowling and Elon Musk are named in the lawsuit, among others,” he told Variety, and explained why Trump would be part of 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 won the Olympic gold medal in the women’s 66 kilogram boxing competition on Aug. 10 and has for weeks been the target of online hate over her gender eligibility. She was born female and does not identify as trans or intersex. The International Olympic Committee has stood by her, declaring, “scientifically, this is not a man fighting a woman.”
That didn’t deter Rowling, who told her 14.2 million followers Khelif was a man who was “enjoying the distress of a woman he’s just punched in the head.” Her post included a picture from Khelif’s fight with Italian boxer Angela Carini.
Could any picture sum up our new men’s rights movement better? The smirk of a male who’s knows he’s protected by a misogynist sporting establishment enjoying the distress of a woman he’s just punched in the head, and whose life’s ambition he’s just shattered. #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/Q5SbKiksXQ
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) August 1, 2024
Musk shared a post from anti-trans activist and former college swimmer Riley Gaines that claimed “men don’t belong in women’s sports.” The owner of X, Tesla and SpaceX endorsed her message with one word: “Absolutely.”
Absolutely https://t.co/twccUEOW9e
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 1, 2024
Trump posted a message on his own platform, Truth Social, with a picture from the fight with Carina accompanied by a promise in all-caps: “I will keep men out of women’s sports!”
“What we’re asking is that the prosecution investigates not only these people but whoever it feels necessary,” said Boudi. “If the case goes to court, they will stand trial.” He added that while the lawsuit was filed in France, “it could target personalities overseas,” pointing out that “the prosecutor’s office for combating online hate speech has the possibility to make requests for mutual legal assistance with other countries.”
Among the potential other targets: Trump’s running mate, U.S. Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), right-wing media personality Charlie Kirk, and boxer and wrestler Logan Paul, all of whom attacked Khelif on social media. Paul posted on X following her win against 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.”
Fox News shared Paul’s quote.
'DELUSION MUST END': Professional wrestler and influencer @LoganPaul makes his opinion known after a women's Olympic fighter dropped out a match just seconds into it after being forced to compete against a biological man. pic.twitter.com/7XTkmNP4Lm
— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 1, 2024
Paul later deleted the post and admitted that he “might be guilty of spreading misinformation.”
Khelif’s coach, Pedro Diaz, told Variety that the bullying Khelif endured during the Paris games “incredibly affected her” and “everyone around her.” He advised her to stop looking at social media so the distraction would not impact her performance in the ring, where she ultimately won a gold medal.
According to Variety, Khelif’s complaint for online harassment is actually one of several that have launched investigations regarding the Paris Olympics. Prosecutors are also investigating a complaint filed by Thomas Jolly, the artistic director of the opening and closing ceremonies. As the Washington Blade reported, one part of the opening ceremony drew condemnations and online criticism. Jolly said he was “the target of threatening messages and insults.” DJ Barbara Butch claimed she had received online harassment, death threats, and insults following the opening ceremony.
Sports
New IOC policy bans trans women from Olympics
New regulation to be in effect at 2028 summer games in Los Angeles
The International Olympic Committee on Thursday announced it will not allow transgender women from competing in female events at the Olympics.
“For all disciplines on the Sports Program of an IOC event, including individual and team sports, eligibility for any Female Category is limited to biological females,” reads the new policy.
The policy states “eligibility for the Female Category is to be determined in the first instance by SRY Gene screening to detect the absence or presence of the SRY Gene.”
“On the basis of the scientific evidence, the IOC considers that the SRY (sex-determining Region Y) Gene is fixed throughout life and represents highly accurate evidence that an athlete has experienced or will experience male sex development,” it reads. “Furthermore, the IOC considers that SRY Gene screening via saliva, cheek swab or blood sample is unintrusive compared to other possible methods. Athletes who screen negative for the SRY gene permanently satisfy this policy’s eligibility criteria for competition in the Female Category.”
The policy states the test “will be a once-in-a-lifetime test” unless “there is reason to believe a negative reading is in error.”
The new regulation will be in place for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
“I understand that this a very sensitive topic,” said IOC President Kirsty Coventry on Thursday in a video. “As a former athlete, I passionately believe in the rights of all Olympians to take part in fair competition.”
“The policy that we have announced is based on science and it has been led by medical experts with the best interests of athletes at its heart. The scientific evidence is very clear: male chromosomes give performance advances in sport that rely on strength, power, or endurance,” she added. “At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat. So, it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category. In addition, in some sports it would simply not be safe.”
(Video courtesy of the IOC)
Laurel Hubbard, a weightlifter from New Zealand, in 2021 became the first trans woman to compete at the Olympics.
Imane Khelif, an Algerian boxer, won a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Khelif later sued JK Rowling and Elon Musk for cyberstalking after they questioned her gender identity.
Ellis Lundholm, a mogul skier from Sweden, this year became the first openly trans athlete to compete in any Winter Olympics when he participated in Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy.
President Donald Trump in February 2025 issued an executive order that bans trans women and girls from female sports teams in the U.S.
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee last July banned trans women from competing in female sporting events. Republican lawmakers have demanded the IOC ban trans athletes from women’s athletic competitions.
“I’m grateful the Olympics finally embraced the common sense policy that women’s sports are for women, not for men,” said U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) on X.
An IOC spokesperson on Thursday referred the Washington Blade to the press release that announced the new policy.
More than a dozen LGBTQ athletes won medals at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics that ended on Sunday.
Cayla Barnes, Hilary Knight, and Alex Carpenter are LGBTQ members of the U.S. women’s hockey team that won a gold medal after they defeated Canada in overtime. Knight the day before the Feb. 19 match proposed to her girlfriend, Brittany Bowe, an Olympic speed skater.
French ice dancer Guillaume Cizeron, who is gay, and his partner Laurence Fournier Beaudry won gold. American alpine skier Breezy Johnson, who is bisexual, won gold in the women’s downhill. Amber Glenn, who identifies as bisexual and pansexual, was part of the American figure skating team that won gold in the team event.
Swiss freestyle skier Mathilde Gremaud, who is in a relationship with Vali Höll, an Austrian mountain biker, won gold in women’s freeski slopestyle.
Bruce Mouat, who is the captain of the British curling team that won a silver medal, is gay. Six members of the Canadian women’s hockey team — Emily Clark, Erin Ambrose, Emerance Maschmeyer, Brianne Jenner, Laura Stacey, and Marie-Philip Poulin — that won silver are LGBTQ.
Swedish freestyle skier Sandra Naeslund, who is a lesbian, won a bronze medal in ski cross.
Belgian speed skater Tineke den Dulk, who is bisexual, was part of her country’s mixed 2000-meter relay that won bronze. Canadian ice dancer Paul Poirier, who is gay, and his partner, Piper Gilles, won bronze.
Laura Zimmermann, who is queer, is a member of the Swiss women’s hockey team that won bronze when they defeated Sweden.
Outsports.com notes all of the LGBTQ Olympians who competed at the games and who medaled.
Sports
US wins Olympic gold medal in women’s hockey
Team captain Hilary Knight proposed to girlfriend on Wednesday
The U.S. women’s hockey team on Thursday won a gold medal at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
Team USA defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime. The game took place a day after Team USA captain Hilary Knight proposed to her girlfriend, Brittany Bowe, an Olympic speed skater.
Cayla Barnes and Alex Carpenter — Knight’s teammates — are also LGBTQ. They are among the more than 40 openly LGBTQ athletes who are competing in the games.
The Olympics will end on Sunday.
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