Elon Musk and J.K. Rowling could face substantial fines and potential prison sentences if Iman Khelif wins her cyberbullying lawsuit against them.
The Algerian boxer made headlines during this year’s Olympics due to a controversy over gender eligibility testing. Khelif gained significant attention after her bout with Italy’s Angela Carini, which ended abruptly in just 46 seconds when Carini withdrew.
Subsequent reports revealed that Khelif was disqualified from the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships for failing an unspecified ‘gender eligibility’ test.
Imane Khelif, born a woman and listed as female in her passport, was confirmed eligible to compete in the Paris Olympics by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). She went on to win the gold medal in the women’s 66kg boxing final against China’s Yang Liu.
Khelif’s participation sparked protests from high-profile figures, including Elon Musk and J.K. Rowling. Following the conclusion of the sporting event, Khelif filed a lawsuit against individuals named by French authorities for alleged “acts of aggravated cyber harassment.”
According to Khelif’s attorney, Nabil Boudi, both Musk and Rowling are named in the complaint, which was submitted to the anti-online hatred center of the Paris public prosecutor’s office.
During the Olympics, J.K. Rowling took to Twitter to refer to Imane Khelif as a “male.” Rowling further accused Khelif of “enjoying the distress of a woman he’s just punched in the head and whose life’s ambition he’s just shattered.”
Elon Musk also made headlines by sharing a post from American swimmer Riley Gaines, which stated, “Men don’t belong in women’s sports.” Musk added his endorsement with the comment: “Absolutely.”
Imane Khelif’s lawyer, Nabil Bouidi, also suggested that former US President Donald Trump might be included in future investigations. Trump recently posted on Truth Social, stating, “I will keep men out of women’s sports.” Bouidi noted, “Whether or not Trump is named in our lawsuit, his comments will inevitably be scrutinized as part of the prosecution.”
The complaint specifies certain individuals but Bouidi emphasized that the prosecution should investigate not only those named but also any others deemed relevant.
If Elon Musk and J.K. Rowling lose the case, they could face prison time, along with significant fines for cyberbullying offenses in France. U NILAD has contacted representatives for Elon Musk and J.K. Rowling for comments.
