Imane Khelif has broken her silence after suing the likes of Elon Musk, Donald Trump, and JK Rowling.
Khelif has endured online abuse regarding her gender in recent times, with many accusing her of being transgender. And, although she’s gotten a gold medal for her troubles, the Algerian boxer is looking to take things further with a cyberbullying lawsuit that involves the aforementioned trio.
The Olympic boxer was disqualified from the World Boxing Championships last year after failing genetic tests said to have determined that she has XY chromosomes. Nonetheless, she was allowed to compete in the Olympics this year.
Her attorney, Nabil Boudi, recently revealed having filed a suit in France that does not name individual defendants but casts a wide net as Musk’s X/Twitter platform is the focus.
The former United States President and the ‘Harry Potter’ author were among well-known users to speak out against Khelif, with Musk also chiming in himself.
Imane Khelif Had A Rough Experience At The Olympics
Khelif has since spoken to El Birad, admitting the speculation over her gender hurt her a lot.
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“But immediately after there was a big uproar from big politicians around the world, athletes around the world, and even artists and stars, Elon Musk, Trump.. this thing….. that affected me,” she said (H/T the Daily Mail).
“I am not lying to you, it affected me. It affected me a lot, hurt me a lot. I can’t describe to you the amount of fear I had.
“The scenario was very scary. Thank god, all the people of Algeria and the Arab world knew Imane Khelif with her femininity, her courage, her will.
“Honestly, I don’t like to get into politics in sports, but they got into politics in sports. Sports and politics are two separate things. These politicians who are oppressing me, they don’t have the right to say that I’m a transgender.”
Khelif’s Olympic journey culminated in a gold medal win effusively celebrated by Algeria, where it is not legal to change one’s sex.
It remains to be seen what becomes of her suit.
