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J.K. Rowling, renowned author of the Harry Potter series, has notably refrained from commenting on her usually active X (formerly Twitter) account following the legal action taken against her. The lawsuit, filed by Olympic gold medalist Imane Khelif, alleges cyber harassment related to statements made about her gender.
On August 9, Khelif’s legal team lodged a formal complaint with a special unit of the Paris public prosecutor’s office. This action follows the dissemination of false information online concerning Khelif’s gender after her victory over Italy’s Angela Carini at the 2024 Olympic Games. Carini withdrew from the match just 46 seconds in, stating she had “never felt a punch like this.”
The controversy surrounding Khelif intensified when she was barred from competing in the International Boxing Association (IBA) World Championships last year due to an unspecified sex-verification test. The validity of this test has been questioned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which also led to the disqualification of Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting from the 2023 World Championship.
On August 9, Khelif secured the gold medal in the women’s welterweight division, marking Algeria’s first Olympic medal in women’s boxing. Lin won gold in the women’s flyweight division the following day.
Rowling, who has faced criticism for her views on transgender issues, was among those who criticized Khelif’s Olympic participation, mistakenly referring to her as a “man” in a series of posts on X.
Rowling wrote: “Watch this (whole thread), then explain why you’re OK with a man beating a woman in public for your entertainment. This isn’t sport. From the bullying cheat in red all the way up to the organizers who allowed this to happen, this is men reveling in their power over women.”
In another post, Rowling expressed disdain for a video featuring Kirsty Burrows, head of the Safe Sport Unit at the IOC, who discussed the organization’s new mental health and safeguarding initiatives.
“A young female boxer has just had everything she’s worked and trained for snatched away because you allowed a male to get in the ring with her,” Rowling commented. “You’re a disgrace, your ‘safeguarding’ is a joke and #Paris24 will be forever tarnished by the brutal injustice done to Carini.”
Rowling has not posted since August 7, when she shared a post from Maya Forstater, a researcher dismissed from her job for making anti-transgender remarks.
On August 13, Variety reported that Rowling, former President Donald Trump, and billionaire X owner Elon Musk were mentioned in Khelif’s lawsuit for their comments regarding her gender. The lawsuit accuses these individuals of “aggravated cyber-harassment,” according to Khelif’s lawyer, Nabil Boudi. The complaint was also filed against X, implicating unknown parties under French law. The Paris prosecutor’s office will investigate to identify those responsible.
France has recently set a significant precedent with its largest cyberbullying case, resulting in the imprisonment of 28 individuals for up to 18 months. These defendants were convicted of harassing Magali Berdah, a prominent influencer, following a campaign against “thieving influencers” led by French rapper Booba. Booba, whose real name is Élie Thitia Yaffa, faces separate charges of aggravated harassment, which he denies.
Khelif has spoken about the emotional impact of the erroneous statements about her gender, expressing deep hurt and fear. She stated, “There was a lot of noise from politicians, athletes, stars, artists—Elon Musk and Donald Trump—and that hurt me a lot. I cannot describe how scared I was. This affected me deeply, but I am thankful to have overcome it. I am proud that the people of Algeria and the Arab world recognize me for my femininity, courage, and determination.”
She added, “This is a great shame for my family, for the honor of my family, for Algeria, and for the women of Algeria and the Arab world. The whole world knows I am a Muslim girl.”
