Algerian boxer Iman Khelif has filed a lawsuit against American billionaire Elon Musk and British author J.K. Rowling following their public objections to her participation in the Paris Olympics.
Khelif, who won a gold medal in Paris, has taken legal action, citing their involvement in spreading hate and misinformation about her gender identity.
Khelif's lawyer, Nabil Boudi, confirmed to Variety magazine that both Musk, the owner of Tesla and the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), and Rowling, the author of the "Harry Potter" series, were named in the criminal complaint.
The lawsuit was filed with the Online Hate Crimes Division of the French Prosecutor's Office last week.
The legal action targets Musk's social media platform X, meaning that it has been filed against "unknown persons" under French law.
Boudi explained that this allows the prosecution the freedom to investigate all individuals involved, including those who shared hate messages under anonymous identities.
Boudi also mentioned in a post on X that former U.S. President Donald Trump could be included in the investigation, as he too had tweeted about Khlef.
Although Trump's name wasn't initially mentioned in the lawsuit, Boudi indicated that the investigation would inevitably involve him.
Rowling had previously posted a picture of Khlef's fight against Italian boxer Angela Carini, accusing Khlef of being a man "enjoying bullying a woman."
Musk, on the other hand, had retweeted a post by swimmer Riley Gaines, claiming that "men do not belong in women's sports."
Khelif, who participated in the Tokyo Olympics three years ago without any controversy, found herself at the center of a heated debate in Paris over her gender identity.
The controversy stems from a disagreement between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Boxing Association (IBA) regarding Khlef's eligibility to compete in women's events.
While the IBA claimed that Khlef failed a gender verification test, the IOC deemed her eligible to compete.
As a result of this controversy, Khlef has been subjected to a widespread campaign of hate and misinformation on social media, often laced with racist undertones.
Her legal battle against prominent figures like Musk and Rowling highlights the increasing intersection of sports, social media, and issues of gender identity on a global stage.
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