Imane Khelif: JK Rowling Purges Tweets and Goes Dark Following Legal Action from Olympian: Updated
JK Rowling has recently been involved in a controversy surrounding Algerian Olympic boxer Imane Khelif. Khelif was hounded on social media over a false story accusing her of being a man competing as a woman.
JK Rowling and Imane Khelif
This situation escalated after Rowling made comments on social media regarding Khelif’s gender, incorrectly identifying her as a man. Khelif, who won a gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, has faced scrutiny over her gender identity due to past disqualifications from the International Boxing Association (IBA). The IBA is largely not considered a reputable organization due to corruption. The IBA never specified what they tested for. However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) supported her right to compete, affirming her eligibility as a female athlete.
Imane Khelif was born a woman and competes as a woman. No test had ever said that she was intersex, had XY chromosomes, or had increased testosterone. The IBA never claimed such things. It was misinformation aimed at a minority woman. Being LGBTQ in Algeria could land a citizen in prison.
Following these events, Khelif filed a cyberbullying lawsuit in France, naming JK Rowling, Elon Musk, and others, accusing them of promoting online harassment against her. The backlash spurred the lawsuit and misinformation spread about her gender identity, which Khelif claims has caused her significant distress.
In response to the lawsuit and the surrounding controversy, JK Rowling has reportedly deleted numerous tweets related to Khelif and has gone silent on her social media platform X, formerly Twitter. This silence is notable given Rowling’s typically very active presence on the platform, especially regarding issues related to gender and transgender people.
The legal proceedings are ongoing, and while it is uncertain if billionaires JK Rowling or Elon Musk will face prosecution due to jurisdictional issues, the lawsuit highlights the broader debate over gender identity in sports and the impact of public figures’ comments on social media. JK Rowling was never censored, she is facing the consequences of the thoughts she published publicly. Elon Musk also spread misinformation on a platform where he largely controls the spread of information.
Chael Sonnen explained the controversy:
The claim that the boxer submitted a genetic test that came back with an XY chromosome—indicating that she is biologically male—is simply not true. The IBA, which initiated this whole controversy, never said such a test was done. They only mentioned that they found something, which was then appealed.
The IOC, which sees the IBA as insignificant in the broader sports world, reviewed the appeal. The IBA is relatively unimportant in the grand scheme of sports, and they never claimed that the test involved genetics or chromosomes. Everything else—this entire narrative—was fabricated by outlets and spread across the internet.
He added:
Alleging that this Algerian boxer had a test showing she had the XY chromosome, which would indicate biological maleness. But this is simply not true. The test never happened. The IBA never claimed such a test was done.
But if you care about the truth and the reality, I’ve just laid it out for you.
Update from JK Rowling
Rowling just Tweeted moments ago mocking and smearing the Algerian athlete. Many people on social media were happy to admit they were wrong due to misinformation. Instead, Rowling continues personal attacks:
“It’s important to highlight that launching a PR campaign and applying layers of thick makeup requires far more time and effort than simply making DNA test results public.”
