Video of Brigitte Macron calling anti-rape activists "stupid b****es" while backstage at a Parisian theater goes viral

French First Lady Brigitte Macron had come under scrutiny after she called anti-rape activists "stupid b****es." According to reports by The Independent, the activists interrupted actor and performer Ary Abittan's show on Saturday while calling him a "rapist." For the unversed, Abittan has previously been accused of raping a 23-year-old woman in 2021, but the charges were dropped in 2023.

On Sunday, the First Lady was in the backstage of Folies Bergère with her daughter Tiphaine Auzière to watch Abittan's show. In a now viral video, Ary Abittan could be seen telling Macron that he was "scared" to go on stage after what happened a day before on Saturday. This prompted the First Lady to jokingly respond by saying,

"If there are any stupid b****es, we'll kick them out. Especially masked bandits."

Since this video went viral, the French First Lady has become prone to massive criticism, with many calling out her statements. Social media platforms like X have been filled with such remarks from netizens. After the clip of this interaction between Macron and Abittan went viral, a spokesperson for the First Lady said,

"This exchange should only be seen as criticism of the radical methods used by those who, wearing masks, disrupted Ary Abittan's show on Saturday evening to prevent the artist from performing."

Four activists belonging to the feminist collective NousToutes wore masks of Abittan's face and disrupted his show. The individuals who further had the word "rapist" written on their foreheads also chanted "Ary Abittan rapist."

NousToutes took to social media and reacted to the comments made by Brigitte Macron

As previously mentioned, Brigitte Macron's comments were not taken lightly, and many on social media have criticized the same. The feminist collective NousToutes also reacted to the viral video and took to social media to share their response. The collective seemingly reclaimed the slur used by Macron and wrote,

"Stupid b****es and proud of it!"

According to reports, the video went viral, particularly after the French weekly magazine "Public" published the same on social media. One of the activists from Saturday, named Gwen, shared their reaction to the much-circulated video of Brigitte Macron and said,

"We are deeply shocked and outraged. The words used speak volumes about her worldview; the political message is extremely shocking."

French actor Judith Godrèche condemned the First Lady's remarks and took to social media to share her response. Judith posted on Instagram and wrote, "I too am a stupid b****." Deputy chair of the French National Assembly, Clémence Guetté, further called out Macron for her offensive remarks about the activists. Guetté took to X and wrote,

"Brigitte Macron calls the activists mobilized in front of the theatre where a man accused of sexual violence is performing 'stupid b****es.' Violence, the famous 'great cause of the five-year term.'"

According to The Guardian, Brigitte Macron's office issued an official statement explaining her behavior. The statement indicated that she was only trying to "reassure an artist" who just conveyed being "scared." According to the statement, Macron wasn't "attacking a cause," but she did not support radical methods. Amid much scrutiny, she also received support.

National Rally lawmaker Jean-Philippe Tanguy said that her comments were made in private and were "stolen."

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