By Daily Caller Staff
Brigitte Macron drew cross-party condemnation Tuesday after a backstage video showed France’s first lady dismissing feminist demonstrators as “stupid bitches” at a Paris comedy show, according to Politico.
In the since-deleted clip, Macron is seen speaking with comedian Ary Abittan before his set and promising disruption wouldn’t be tolerated. Abittan, who was accused of rape in 2021 but later obtained a non-lieu after a multi-year investigation, has denied wrongdoing; feminist group Nous Toutes protested his return to the stage and interrupted the show, Politico reported. (RELATED: French President Sues Candace Owens For Calling His Wife A Man)
“If there are stupid bitches, we’ll toss them out,” she said.
Macron’s office later told the Agence France-Presse the remark was aimed at the “radical methods” of activists who disrupted and obstructed Abittan’s performance, according to Politico. The comment followed Abittan telling Macron he was “afraid,” apparently about a protest.
Blowback was immediate. Marine Tondelier, national secretary of the Greens, called the remark “extremely grave,” while conservative Sen. Agnès Evren blasted it as “very sexist.” Prisca Thévenot, a lawmaker in President Emmanuel Macron’s party and a former government spokeswoman, labeled it “inelegant,” Politico noted.
Former President François Hollande weighed in on RTL on Tuesday, saying, “When it comes to women fighting against violence against women, we don’t speak that way.” Actress Judith Godrèche, a leading voice on abuse in France’s film industry, posted, “I too am a stupid bitch. And I support all the others,” on Instagram, per Politico’s account.
Politico reported the video first appeared via gossip outlet Public before being deleted. The site also noted the legal context around Abittan’s case: while authorities said the accuser suffered post-traumatic stress, judges found insufficient grounds to determine the encounter was forced. Abittan has maintained the act was consensual.
The Élysée’s attempt to frame Macron’s words as a critique of tactics rather than people did little to cool the storm, with criticism coming from left, right and within the president’s own ranks.
