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French DJ, producer, and LGBTQ advocate, Barbara Butch, who was at the center of the Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony scandal, filed several legal complaints on July 29 citing “cyber-harassment and defamation” against her.
She shared a post on her Instagram revealing a statement from her attorney Audrey Msellati which claimed that Barbara Butch had been a “target of an extremely violent campaign” online.
“She has been threatened with death, torture, and r*pe, and has also been the target of numerous anti-Semitic, homoph*bic, s*xist, and grossoph*bic insults,” the statement mentioned.
The post added how Barbara Butch “intends to prosecute anyone who tries to intimidate her in the future,” be it French nationals or foreigners.
Meanwhile, Barbara Butch herself stated on Instagram that she has never been “ashamed” of who she was and took “responsibility for everything,” including her “artistic choices.”
Notably, the term ‘grossoph*bic’ is the French equivalent of ‘fatph*bic’ or ‘sizeism’ in the English language.
Understanding the meaning of ‘grossoph*bic’ in the wake of Barbara Butch’s legal action
According to the UK publication International Business Times (IBT), the word ‘grossoph*bic’ is the adjective form of ‘grossoph*bia,’ and refers to prejudice against fat people or simply discrimination against people based on their weight.
It became popular in France in 2017 as an equivalent of the common English terms ‘fatph*bic’ and ‘sizeism’ following the release of the book You’re Not Born Fat penned by Gabrielle Deydier.
The author was 38 years old back then and weighed 23.5 stone, who claimed in her book that she lost her teaching assistant job as she couldn't lose her weight, and ended up living in a youth hostel. Not only that but Deydier alleged that a co-worker shamed her for her “weight” and claimed that it made her lazy with a low IQ.
The book triggered a nationwide debate in France. The then deputy mayor of Paris Helene Bidard even spoke against ‘grossoph*bia’ and labelled it as the “last discrimination that is tolerated in our society.”
Exploring Barbara Butch’s latest statements in the wake of her police complaints
On Monday, Barbara Butch’s lawyer Audrey Msellati filed a legal complaint with the Paris prosecutor’s office on behalf of her client alleging that she received “death, torture, and r*pe” threats and was a victim of “cyber-harassment and defamation” in the wake of her performance at the inaugural ceremony of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics on July 26.
“Barbara Butch condemns this vile hatred directed at her, what she represents, and what she stands for. Indeed, her commitments and personal values of benevolence, inclusivity, and love for others have always been at the heart of her artistic project: promoting festivities for all, regardless of age, s*xual orientation, origin, religion, or gender,” the attorney’s statement read.
After her complaint, the prosecutor’s office will decide whether the case warranted a formal police investigation. Meanwhile, Butch has decided to “prosecute” anyone who threatens her in the future.
She also wrote on Instagram how she was committed and proud of who she was, what she embodied, as well as her “artistic choices” and took responsibility for them, without any shame.
“Whatever some may say, I exist… All my life, I’ve refused to be a victim: I won’t shut up. I’m not afraid of those who hide behind a screen, or a pseudonym, to spew their hatred and frustrations. I will fight them without ever trembling,” Barbara stated.
The artist also explained how she decided “not to speak out” at first and let her critics “cool down.” However, she soon decided against it and was compelled to take legal action as the hateful messages she had been receiving were “increasingly extreme.”
Barbara Butch shared how deeply “honored” she was to perform at the Olympics opening ceremony and represent the diversity of France through similar visions of art and music. She also offered her love and gratitude for all her fellow performers and choreographer Thomas Jolly.
Her statement mentioned that all her life she has been committed to making everyone sing and dance in her own “small way” and promoting “love and inclusivity” which she believes “will save the world, even when it’s falling apart.”
For those unaware, Barbara Butch was the lead artist during a musical sequence at the opening ceremony which was deemed as a parody of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper.
