More than 300 women, including several feminist organisations, have filed a legal complaint against Brigitte Macron after she was filmed describing protesters as "sales connes" (stupid bitches) at a Paris theatre. The complaint, lodged this week, names 343 complainants – a number referencing the 1971 French petition for abortion rights.
The video was recorded backstage at the Folies Bergère theatre, where Mrs Macron was attending a show by comedian Ary Abittan, who was previously investigated for rape but faced no trial. The night before, feminist campaigners had disrupted the performance, shouting "Abittan, rapist!". In the footage, Mrs Macron asks Mr Abittan how he is feeling, and when he says he is scared, she refers to the protesters with the slur and says they would be "tossed out" if they returned.
Juliette Chapelle, a lawyer for the groups bringing the case, told France Inter radio: "She's France's first lady, her words matter." She added that while Mrs Macron appears "very engaged in causes for women, in reality we can say there's a disconnect between her public speeches and what she really thinks." The group Nous Toutes, which took part in the theatre protest, said activists were protesting against what it called "the culture of impunity" around sexual violence in France.
Responding to the backlash, Mrs Macron told the media outlet Brut: "I am sorry if I hurt women victims," while describing the recorded remarks as "private" comments. She added: "I can't regret them. True, I am the wife of the president of the republic, but I am above all myself. And so when I am in private, I can let myself go in a way that is not totally proper."
The legal complaint includes the feminist group Les Tricoteuses Hystériques, founded in 2024 during France's mass rape trial of Gisèle Pelicot. Celebrities have also voiced support for the insulted activists using the hashtag #salesconnes, including actor and director Judith Godrèche, who posted: "Me too – I'm also a salle conne and I support all the others."
