Olympic Gold Medalist Imane Khelif Files Online Harassment Complaint Mentioning J.K. Rowling, Elon Musk: Report

Mar. 15, 2025

From Left: J.K. Rowling; Imane Khelif; and Elon Musk.Photo:Mike Marsland/WireImage; Ulrik Pedersen/DeFodi Images via Getty; Taylor Hill/Getty

Mike Marsland/WireImage; Ulrik Pedersen/DeFodi Images via Getty; Taylor Hill/Getty

After facing intense scrutiny and speculation regarding her gender throughout the2024 Paris Olympics, gold medalistImane Khelifhas filed a criminal complaint over online harassment in Paris — and it includes mentions to bothJ.K. RowlingandElon Musk, according to a new report.

The Algerian boxer, 25, filed the complaint against unknown/unnamed persons over alleged “acts of aggravated cyber harassment" and mentions both of the public figures — who are known for their anti-transgender stances and made posts claiming that Khelif was a man — within the complaint, the athlete’s attorney, Nabil Boudi, confirmed toVariety. Boudi also confirmed the contents of the complaint to theAssociated PressandReuters.

“J. K. Rowling and Elon Musk are named in the lawsuit, among others,” Boudi toldVariety, with the outlet adding “that Donald Trump would be part of the investigation.”

The complaint was posted to the Paris Prosecutor’s Office’s anti-online hatred center on Friday, Aug. 9, the same day Kheliftook home the gold medal in the women’s boxing 66-kilogram division.

Imane Khelif at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Aug. 9.MOHD RASFAN/AFP via Getty

MOHD RASFAN/AFP via Getty

In a statement, the office confirmed toVarietythat it has received the complaint and launched 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.”

Boudi called the complaint a “new fight” for the boxer in apress releaseposted on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, Aug. 10.

“Ms. Khelif contacted the firm, which yesterday filed a complaint for acts of aggravated cyber harassment with the Paris prosecutor’s office for the fight against online hatred,” the release continues. “The criminal investigation will determine who initiated this misogynistic, racist and sexist campaign but will also have to focus on those who fueled this digital lynching."

From Left: Imane Khelif and Angela Carini at the 2024 Olympics on Aug. 1.Fabio Bozzani/Anadolu via Getty

Fabio Bozzani/Anadolu via Getty

Khelif’s gender became the subject of speculation and hateful rhetoric following her Olympic match against Angela Carini on Thursday, Aug. 1, when the Italian boxerbowed out of the match, citing a severe nose injury.

Critics of Khelif — who was assigned female at birth and does not identify as transgender or intersex — argued that she should not be allowed to compete at the Olympics after being disqualified from the 2023 boxing world championships due to failing an unspecified gender eligibility test from the International Boxing Association (IBA), per theAP.

Both Rowling, 59, and Musk, 53, were among the high-profile names condemning the Olympics for allowing her to compete.

TheHarry Potterauthor shared several posts about the Algerian boxer, including one thataccusedher of being a man who was “enjoying the distress of a woman he’s just punched in the head.” Musk, meanwhile, reposted a statement from swimmer Riley Gaines stating, “Men don’t belong in women’s sports,” andwrote, “Absolutely.”

PEOPLE has reached out to the reps for Musk, Rowling and Trump, 78, for comment.

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“And because of that, I ask them to refrain from bullying,” she added.

source: people.com