France's first lady has found herself walking a narrow line between apology and defiance after she was caught on camera referring to feminist protesters as "stupid b----es." Brigitte Macron on Monday said she was "sorry if I hurt women victims" of sexual assault with the comments uttered during a night out at a Paris comedy show. But she also said the comments were "private" and that she "can't regret them," per Euronews. "I'm the president's wife, but I'm also myself. And so, when I am in private, I can let myself go in a way that is not totally appropriate," the 72-year-old told online media outlet Brut.
Her initial remarks were filmed backstage at a performance by comedian Ary Abittan, who had faced and been cleared of a rape charge, per the New York Times. In a video later deleted by magazine Public, Abittan told Macron he was "scared" after activists from the #NousToutes collective disrupted his show the night before, wearing masks with his face and the word "rapist." Macron, laughing, replied: "If there are any stupid b----es, we'll kick them out."
The incident set off a wave of criticism. Green party leader Marine Tondelier called the comments "gravely offensive" and unbefitting of a first lady. Hashtags including #SalesConnes ("stupid b----es") and #JeSuisUneSaleConne ("I am a stupid b----") trended on social media, embraced by actors such as Judith Godrèche and Marion Cotillard as a form of protest. The Élysée initially framed Macron's comments as targeting the "radical method" of the demonstrators rather than feminists in general, but the clarification has done little to stem the political and cultural fallout. Macron has since said she was trying to comfort a friend, though her manner may have been "clumsy." (Earlier this year, she was seen shoving her husband in the face.)
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