Brigitte Macron, the first lady of France, faced widespread criticism on Tuesday after a video emerged of her speaking demeaningly of feminist protesters.
The video has prompted a growing outcry from French politicians and other commentators, in part because Ms. Macron’s husband, President Emmanuel Macron, has long presented the battle for women’s equality as a key priority.
The video showed Ms. Macron chatting privately on Sunday backstage at a theater with a French comedian, Ary Abittan, and using a term that roughly translates to “stupid bitches” to describe activists who had disrupted the comedian’s show the day before.
Ms. Macron used the term while jokingly vowing to protect the comedian if the protesters returned. The video of their conversation appeared to have been filmed by a bystander.
Mr. Abittan has faced opposition from women’s rights campaigners since he was accused of rape in 2021, both before and after the charges were dismissed by an appeals court in January.
Four activists from a feminist collective called #NousToutes — which translates to “all of us women” — interrupted his performance on Saturday, a member of the collective said. Footage of the protest showed demonstrators wearing masks covered with an image of Mr. Abittan’s face and the word “violeur,” or “rapist.”
A day later, Ms. Macron met with Mr. Abittan backstage before he began another performance, according to the presidency.
“I’m scared,” the comedian is heard saying lightheartedly to her in the video.
Ms. Macron replies in a joking tone with the slur, and says that if the protesters return, “we’ll kick them out.”
After the video was posted online, #NousToutes turned the insult into a hashtag that was quickly reposted by countless feminist activists and artists in France.
A spokesman for the French presidency said that “Mrs. Macron’s sole intention was to reassure an artist,” adding, “In no way is she attacking a cause.” Instead, the spokesman said, Ms. Macron “condemns the radical methods used to prevent an artist from performing onstage.”
Marine Tondelier, the head of the Green Party, a center-left opposition party, said in a TV interview on Monday hat she was “extremely shocked” by the exchange. “A first lady shouldn’t say that,” Ms. Tondelier said.
Ms. Macron’s use of the slur occurred less than two months after 10 people went on trial after being accused of cyberbullying the first lady. They are charged with spreading false claims about Ms. Macron’s gender and her marriage.
In July, Ms. Macron and her husband filed a defamation suit against Candace Owens, an American right-wing podcaster who repeated the claims. The case has yet to go to court.
In October, Ms. Owens filed a motion to dismiss the case, which the Macrons opposed last week.
Ségolène Le Stradic is a reporter and researcher covering France.
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