French First Lady Brigitte Macron has come under fire after a video surfaced showing her referring to feminist activists as "dirty bitches" backstage at a theatre in Paris.
The remarks were made on Sunday at the Folies Bergère theatre, where Macron attended a performance by comedian Ary Abittan, accompanied by her daughter Tiphaine Auzière.
Abittan, who was accused of rape in 2021, faced protests from feminist activists the night before, with the #NousToutes collective disrupting his show wearing masks depicting his face with the word "rapist" and chanting accusations.
"If there are any dirty bitches, we'll kick them out"
In the video published by French magazine Public, Abittan expressed that he was "scared" by the protests, and Macron laughed before saying, "If there are any dirty bitches, we'll kick them out."
The comments sparked immediate criticism. French actress Judith Godrèche posted on Instagram: "I'm a dirty bitch too. And I support everyone else." MEP Manon Aubry of La France Insoumise condemned the remarks on social media, while Greens leader Marine Tondelier called them "gravely offensive" on BFM-TV, adding that "a First Lady shouldn't say that."
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