France's first lady has found herself at the center of a feminist backlash over two words caught on camera, the BBC reports. Brigitte Macron is under fire after video emerged of her consoling comedian Ary Abittan before a Sunday performance in Paris, a day after activists disrupted his show wearing masks of his face and shouting "Abittan rapist." Abittan was accused of rape in 2021; prosecutors dropped the case in 2024, citing a lack of sufficient evidence. In the clip, Abittan tells Macron, who was attending Abittan's show with her daughter, that he feels "scared." She replies, smiling and laughing, "If there are any stupid b-----s ('sales connes' in French) we'll kick them out."
Her team later told AFP the remark was meant as a critique of "radical methods" used by the protesters, who were mobilized by Nous Toutes, a prominent French group campaigning against violence toward women. They also said she was simply trying to comfort the comedian, the AP reports. But the phrase "sales connes" has since been embraced by feminists and celebrities online, many using the hashtag #salesconnes to denounce Macron's words and express solidarity with the protesters rather than the first lady.
Actor Judith Godrèche—who has accused a film director of historical rape, which he denies—posted "I too am a stupid b----." Belgian comedian Florence Mendez said she was "proud" to be one; actor and singer Nadège Beausson-Diagne wrote that she is a "stupid b---- in summer, winter, spring and autumn," while backing the woman who accused Abittan and vowing that Nous Toutes will "come back stronger" to fight sexual violence. Actor Rachida Brakni thanked the "b-----s" in a post tagging Nous Toutes, and comedian Marine Leonardi added, "Feminists are never stupid b-----s." Even former French President François Hollande was among those criticizing Macron, calling her words vulgar.
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
