Imane Khelif has accused Elon Musk of spearheading a hate campaign during the Olympics gender controversy, causing her immense distress.
Imane Khelif’s emotional response to online abuse
The Algerian boxer recently shared the emotional turmoil she endured during the Olympics.
She spoke out about the harsh criticism she received from Elon Musk.
Competing in the women’s welterweight category, Khelif won a gold medal amidst a storm of controversy surrounding her gender identity.
The Olympic championship has slammed Elon Musk for his “cruel” attack during the controversy over her participation in the Games.
In an emotional interview on the French TV show *CLIQUE*, Khelif expressed her distress over Musk’s role in the public backlash she faced.
The background of the Olympic controversy
Khelif, who competed in the women’s welterweight category, won a gold medal despite the controversy over her gender.
Her eligibility was questioned following her disqualification from the 2023 IBA World Boxing Championships due to alleged gender test failures.
The International Boxing Association had claimed she had male “XY” chromosomes.
Khelif was cleared to compete in the Olympics despite her previous disqualification from the World Boxing Championships.
This disqualification was due to allegations concerning her chromosomes.
This decision led to widespread outrage, as the International Boxing Association (IBA) has not provided scientific evidence supporting their claims.
Musk’s involvement in the backlash against Olympic champion Imane Khelif
Musk, alongside other high-profile figures, contributed to the online harassment Khelif experienced.
He shared a post on his social media platform, X, that called for men to be banned from women’s sports following Khelif’s victory over Italy’s Angela Carini.
Riley Gaines posted a photo of Angela Carini, Imane Khelif’s rival, with the caption, “Men don’t belong in women’s sports.”
Elon Musk retweeted the post, adding his agreement with “Absolutely.”
His retweeted post captured numerous haters with a series of “cruel” comments against Imane Khelif.
Khelif noted that Musk was among the first to spread the negative narrative against her.
Khelif was in tears in a recent interview amid abuse over her gender
In the interview, Khelif fought back tears as she described the impact of the online attacks.
The stress of the situation was compounded by personal challenges.
Khelif’s mother was hospitalized during this time, adding to her emotional burden.
The boxer reflected on how the public’s reaction affected both her and her family.
“Elon Musk was one of the first to attack me during this hate campaign,” she said.
“He posted this video, and it was retweeted, spreading this campaign against me.
I don’t understand why you hate me when you don’t even know me.
It was cruel to me and my family, especially my mother, who was going to the hospital every day,” she emotionally added.
Imane Khelif takes legal action against haters
Despite the abuse, Khelif remains resilient. She stated, “God is my guide, I am a practicing Muslim woman, and I hope to come back even stronger.”
Khelif has also filed a cyberbullying lawsuit in France, which includes Musk, author J.K. Rowling, and former President Donald Trump.
The lawsuit addresses the online harassment she endured.
“Immediately after there was a lot of noise from politicians, athletes, stars, artists — Elon Musk and Donald Trump.
That hurt me a lot, I cannot describe how scared I was,” the 25-year-old said.
‘This affected me. I’m not lying to you, it affected me a lot. It hurt a lot.
I can’t describe the fear I had but thank God I was able to overcome it.
Thank god, all the people of Algeria and the Arab world knew Imane Khelif with her femininity, her courage, her will,” Khelif affirmed.