Brigitte Macron used a slur against feminist activists who disrupted the show of an actor-comedian previously accused of rape
French first lady Brigitte Macron is facing a legal complaint after being filmed referring to feminist protesters as “stupid b***hes” at a Paris theatre earlier this month.
A group of feminist associations filed a complaint against France’s first lady for public insult on Tuesday, “on behalf of 343 women and associations, who collectively and individually declare themselves to be affected by [Macron’s] remarks,” wrote French legal think tank Le Club des Juristes.
The controversy stems from a since-deleted clip showing Macron chatting privately backstage with actor and comedian Ary Abittan, whose stand-up show had been disrupted the previous night by feminist activists calling him a ‘rapist.’ He had previously been accused of rape, but the case was dropped due to a lack of evidence.
In the leaked video, Abittan jokes about his nerves, prompting Macron to respond: “If there are any stupid b***hes, we’ll kick them out.”
A spokesperson for the French presidency said the first lady had been attempting to calm the actor’s nerves and had intended only to criticize what she viewed as radical methods used to disrupt the performance.
Despite that explanation, criticism mounted rapidly, with politicians across party lines as well as activists and figures from the film industry condemning the remark. Macron later apologized, describing the comments caught on video as “private” remarks.
It remains unclear where the complaint was filed. Under French law, the president’s spouse has no legal immunity, but laws against “public insult” only target remarks which are made in public, raising questions over whether a privately spoken comment later leaked online meets that threshold. Private insults may instead constitute a lesser offence, punishable by a small fine.
One feminist group, called The Hysterical Knitters, noted that feminist organizations had supported Macron for years in response to “relentless harassment fueled by a transphobic rumor.”
Macron has previously been at the center of a long-running legal dispute linked to online conspiracy theories falsely claiming she is transgender. A court ruling this year fined the originators of the rumor and renewed the debate over digital harassment targeting public figures.