Algerian gold medal boxer Imane Khelif names JK Rowling, Elon Musk in cyberbullying lawsuit

Harry Potter author JK Rowling and billionaire Elon Musk have been named in Imane Khelif's cyberbullying lawsuit after the Algerian boxer was the target of a transphobic online smear campaign during the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Nabil Boudi, the Algerian gold medalist's Paris-based lawyer, told US magazine Variety that both Rowling and Musk were referenced in the lawsuit. He added that former US President Donald Trump, though not directly mentioned in the lawsuit, could also be impacted, due to his participation in the online attacks against Khelif.

Rowling, Musk, and other right-wing public figures had questioned Khelif's gender and right to compete at the Paris Olympics, after Italian boxer Angela Carini withdrew 46 seconds into a match against the Algerian on 1 August, claiming that she had never been hit so hard in her boxing career.

Carini also refused to shake Khelif's hand at the end of their match and was seen sobbing. Shortly after, Khelif soon found herself in the middle of a misinformation and transphobic social media storm over her gender identity, spearheaded by Rowling and Musk, among others.

Several high-profile right-wing accounts joined in the vilification of the 25-year-old Algerian boxer, accusing her of being a man, transgender, intersex, or having X and Y chromosomes. Khelif was disqualified by the International Boxing Association (IBA) last year during the World Championships for failing a "gender" test, though details were never revealed.

However, the IBA has come under fire for corruption-related scandals and its links to Russia in the past, and it is no longer recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which criticised the outcome of the tests and stressed Khelif was eligible as she is labelled as a woman in her passport. Despite the defamation and online harassment she was subjected to, Khelif went on to win gold medal in the women’s 66kg (welterweight) category on Friday, after beating China’s Yang Liu 5-0.