French celebrities and politicians on the left have condemned Brigitte Macron after she was filmed using a derogatory term to describe feminist protesters at a theatre performance in Paris.
The footage, recorded on Sunday, showed France’s first lady backstage at the Folies Bergère theatre speaking with actor and comedian Ary Abittan, who was preparing to go on stage. Abittan, previously accused of rape, told her he was nervous following a protest the night before, when campaigners disrupted his show by shouting: “Abittan, rapist!”
In response, Macron referred to the demonstrators as “sales connes” translated as “dirty or stupid bitches” and added that if they returned, “we’ll toss them out”.
Her office later issued a statement saying she had been attempting to reassure Abittan. “As the video shows, Mrs Macron’s only intention was to reassure an artist who, in his dressing room before going on stage, had just told her: ‘I’m scared’ because his show had been disrupted the previous evening,” it said. The statement added that she disapproved of the methods used to prevent an artist from performing, but insisted she was not attacking the feminist cause itself.
The campaign group Nous Toutes (“All of Us”) said its activists had disrupted Abittan’s show to highlight what it described as “the culture of impunity” surrounding sexual violence in France. Magistrates dropped the 2021 rape investigation against Abittan in 2024 due to lack of evidence, a decision upheld on appeal earlier this year.
In a post on Instagram, Nous Toutes declared: “We denounce venues that roll out a red carpet for men accused of rape, normalising sexist and sexual violence. It is a public insult to the victims. Victims, we believe you. Rapists, we do not forgive you.”
Politicians on the left criticised Macron’s language. Former Socialist president François Hollande told RTL radio: “There’s a problem of vulgarity.” Green party leader Marine Tondelier described the remarks as “extremely serious” and said they were inappropriate for a first lady.
Celebrities also rallied behind the protesters, reclaiming the insult with the hashtag #salesconnes. Actor and director Judith Godrèche, a prominent figure in France’s #MeToo movement, posted: “Me too, I’m also a salle conne and I support all the others.” Singer and actor Camélia Jordana shared a photo of herself with the phrase written across her forehead.
Green senator Mélanie Vogel wrote on social media: “And a very good day to all the stupid bitches of our country.” Marylise Léon, secretary general of the CFDT trade union, said the comments were “inappropriate and crude”.
On the far right, however, National Rally lawmaker Jean-Philippe Tanguy defended Macron, arguing her remarks were private. “If each of us were filmed backstage saying things with friends, I think there would be plenty to comment on,” he told BFMTV. “All of this is very hypocritical.”