Brigitte Macron, wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, indirectly apologized for insulting feminists on December 16, asserting that she retains the right to express her opinions privately despite her public profile.
The first lady stated: “I apologize if I offended the women who were victims of [sexual violence]… I am the president’s wife, but I am also on my own, and in private I can afford inappropriate behavior. People have the right to speak and think freely.”
Macron later emphasized that her remarks were made in private conversation and that she would not have uttered them publicly.
It has been reported that Brigitte Macron had previously insulted feminists who opposed rape on December 8. On December 6, activists disrupted comedian Ari Abittan’s performance by wearing masks reading “rapist” — a reference to his 2021 rape accusation that was dropped in 2023 due to lack of evidence.
On December 7, Macron attended the stand-up show with her daughter. Abittan admitted he felt scared about potential disruptions at a second performance. When asked, Macron responded: “If there are any dirty bitches there, we will kick them out.”
