What did Brigitte Macron say to feminist protesters at a Paris theatre? First Lady of France apologizes for using slur amid legal complaints

Brigitte Macron has apologized for her controversial remark on female protestors on December 7. For the unversed, the First Lady of France was at the Folies Bergère theatre in Paris, with her friends and daughter, to watch a show.

French actor and comedian Ary Abittan was performing at the venue when over 300 feminist protestors arrived and halted the show. The group is named Nous Toutes, which means All of Us in English, and they screamed and called the actor a rapist as Abittan was accused of rape in 2021. The case was dropped in 2023 due to insufficient evidence.

A video from the theatre's backstage was leaked. In it, Macron could be seen interacting with the actor and asking him how he felt about the protest. Abittan replied, saying that he was scared.

Brigitte Macron called the feminist protesters "sales connes," a French slur that means "stupid bitches" in English. Then she said that she would have them thrown out if they protested again.

Public a supprimé cette vidéo de toutes ses plateformes.

Dommage pour la presse de cour, internet ne fonctionne pas comme le voudrait Macron.

Évidemment que Brigitte n’en a rien à foutre des victimes. pic.twitter.com/f6FU71N7AV

— Alexis Poulin (@Poulin2012) December 8, 2025

The video went viral and received immense backlash. Netizens and even the political rivals of Emmanuel Macron started criticizing the couple. This week, in an interview with French media outlet Brut, the First Lady of France addressed the clip.

Brigitte Macron apologized to the female victims and clarified that the remark was made in private. She also noted that she should not have used the slur in public. When asked if she regretted saying it, Brigitte replied that she did not, as she is more than the wife of the President, and she also has a "private life."

"I cannot regret speaking. I don't want to regret. It is true that I am the wife of the president of the Republic, but I am also myself above anything. And when I am in private, it's true that I can let myself go in a way that is absolutely not adequate but I needed to reassure him," Macron stated.

Brigitte Macron is facing a lawsuit for using a slur against the feminist group of protestors

According to the Guardian's December 17 report, the 343 protestors filed a lawsuit against the First Lady of France this week. Juliette Chapelle, the attorney representing them, told France Inter radio that there's a "disconnect" between Brigitte Macron's speeches and her genuine thoughts.

The attorney also noted that Macron should have been more careful with her words, as they matter.

"She's France's first lady, her words matter," Chapelle stated.

Among the celebrities who have openly supported the feminist group, Judith Godreche, the actor and director who has advocated for the Me Too movement in France, has come forward.

She called herself a "salle conne" and said that she supported the protestors. Meanwhile, Brigitte Macron told Brut recently that she could not support the protestors interrupting the comedian's performance.

Macron said she does not encourage the "censorship" imposed on artists and noted that Ary Abittan allegedly had difficulty continuing his performance.

Stay tuned for more updates on Brigitte Macron and her controversial remark at Ary Abittan's show.