After the action of #NousToutes (France) on December 6, 2025, at the Folies Bergère, Paris 9th, a backstage video appears. It shows Brigitte Macron calling activists "dirty bitches." Published on December 8, it triggers a national controversy: her entourage claims it was a critique of the method, while associations denounce it as contempt. Judicial context: Ary Abittan obtained a dismissal (Ary Abittan case) on 04/03/2024, confirmed on 01/30/2025.
What the video shows and what really happened at the Folies Bergère
In a short sequence filmed backstage at the Folies Bergère in Paris, Brigitte Macron is heard uttering an insult from the First Lady ("dirty bitches") towards activists who had disrupted comedian Ary Abittan’s show the previous night. The First Lady adds that "we’re going to throw them out" and refers to "masked bandits." The video of Brigitte Macron, published by the weekly Public on December 8, 2025, quickly spread on social media. Consequently, it sparked a national controversy within hours.
On Saturday, December 6, 2025, four feminist activists in Paris from the #NousToutes (France) collective interrupted a performance by Ary Abittan, chanting "Abittan rapist" and wearing masks with his likeness labeled "rapist." The show resumed after their removal. The next day, December 7, Brigitte Macron attended another performance, alongside her daughter Tiphaine Auzière. The filmed exchange took place before the curtain rose.
An immediate controversy, amplified online
As soon as the video was posted online, the hashtag #SalesConnes circulated widely. Visuals with a black background adopted the expression as a slogan. Actress Judith Godrèche, who has become one of the visible figures in the fight against sexual violence in cinema, wrote: "Me too, I am a dirty bitch." The #NousToutes (France) collective shared the sequence. They claim it is contempt towards committed activists. These activists fight against violence against women.
In Brigitte Macron’s entourage, they maintain that the First Lady targets the method used – a masked intrusion to prevent an artist from performing – and not the feminist cause, nor the victims. This interpretation does not quell the controversy: the wording, deemed hurtful, dominates public discussion for forty-eight hours.
Judicial reminders: where does the Abittan case stand?
The criminal aspect has been closed: indicted in 2021 for rape, Ary Abittan benefited from a dismissal (Ary Abittan case) on April 3, 2024, confirmed on appeal on January 30, 2025. The comedian is therefore allowed to return to the stage. The slogans heard during the action at the Folies Bergère are quotes attributed to activists. They do not constitute a legal qualification. This reminder is essential to avoid any confusion between accusation, investigation, and judicial decision.
Who says what? Overview of reactions
On the side of the associations, #NousToutes (France) mentions deeply shocking remarks. They see it as "another spit" towards victims and the feminist movement. Political leaders react in quick succession. Marine Tondelier, leader of the Ecologists, believes that "these remarks are very serious" and that "a First Lady should not say that." Manon Aubry, MEP for LFI, associates this episode with the promise at the start of the term. This promise was to make women’s rights a great cause. She denounces a contradiction and calls for the departure of the Macron couple. Sarah Legrain, MP for LFI, reminds that "a dismissal does not erase the words and the medical certificates of a woman."
François Hollande, guest on RTL, calls for calm. He states that one can criticize the form of an action. However, "when it comes to women fighting against violence against women, appropriate language is used." Indeed, one does not use words in this way. The former president highlights the risk of verbal escalation and the interest in a return to calm.
A theater, backstage, screens: story of a sequence
Folies Bergère, Paris 9th. The historic venue is sold out. Artists go from stage fright to laughter in seconds. Ary Abittan confides: "I’m scared." Opposite, Brigitte Macron smiles, a few words of support, then the phrase that will make the rounds of the country. The camera, held at shoulder height, captures the exchange.
The next day, the sequence is published online. It immediately enters a now familiar cycle: extraction, short editing, viral diffusion, recontextualization by collectives, political reactions, then televised debate. In a few hours, the episode becomes part of a battle of narratives – freedom of creation versus freedom to protest, ordinary language versus public language, law and morality.
A question of public language
The role of First Lady is not legally defined, but it is symbolic. As such, her words carry weight. Saying "dirty bitches" in a semi-private but recorded space amounts, in the digital age, to speaking in public. The words overflow from backstage, reach the stage, then the media space. They are all the more shocking because the executive has repeatedly emphasized this priority. Indeed, the fight against sexist and sexual violence is a stated priority.
Facing the camera, Brigitte Macron’s entourage separates method and cause. The activists, on the other hand, believe that the vocabulary used trivializes a contempt towards associations and victims. Between the two, many citizens recognize the tension: one can contest the intrusion in a theater without insulting its authors. This is the line defended by François Hollande.
Freedom of creation, freedom of protest
Theaters are places of creation and exchange. The right to protest exists. When activists interrupt a performance to denounce a program, they are exercising a political gesture. This gesture disrupts spectators who came "to laugh." When a public figure denigrates these activists, they disrupt in return those who are committed against violence.
This collision of freedoms requires a framework: the safety of venues, the proportion of responses, the choice of words. A firm and measured evacuation is better than a brutal stigmatization. And the public debate gains clarity when positions are expressed without invective.
The role of social media
The media cycle is no longer just the business of newsrooms: Instagram, Bluesky, and X now structure the reception of events. The hashtags #SalesConnes and #NousToutes aggregate testimonies, statements, and slogans. The graphic framework (black background, white typography) facilitates reproduction.
This dynamic accelerates polarization: in a few hours, positions harden. Comments of support or indignation pile up. In this flow, the reminder of facts – dates, places, judicial decisions – becomes even more necessary.
An eminently political sequence
The ecologist and insoumis parties see in the episode a symptom: between promises of equality and language used, there would be dissonance. On the presidential side, they plead spontaneity and annoyance at a method deemed radical.
The ridge line is narrow: assuming a public policy against violence, defending the freedom of artists, guaranteeing the freedom to protest, and maintaining a quality of speech commensurate with institutional functions. This equation is replayed with each controversy and weighs on the image of the presidential couple.
Beyond the moment: what does this affair say about our public debate?
This sequence reminds us of the fragility of our democratic rituals. Words shift boundaries: they can hurt, unite, or enlighten. When roles – activists, artists, political leaders – clash in the space of a theater, the society as a whole is reflected.
The context matters: for several years, the French debate on sexist and sexual violence has gained visibility thanks to the work of associations, victims, and public figures, including Judith Godrèche. The Folies Bergère episode is just one chapter; it reveals how crucial the choice of words and the conduct of the debate remain.
Chronological reference points
- End of 2021: accusation against Ary Abittan.
- April 3, 2024: dismissal pronounced (Ary Abittan case).
- January 30, 2025: dismissal confirmed on appeal.
- December 6, 2025: action by #NousToutes at the Folies Bergère.
- December 7, 2025: video filmed backstage where Brigitte Macron utters the words that will cause controversy.
- December 8, 2025: sequence published by Public and flood of online reactions.
Issues of responsibility and precautions
- Responsibility of words: a public figure always potentially speaks in public.
- Legal precision: systematic reminder of the dismissal confirmed for Ary Abittan (Ary Abittan case).
- Ethics of debate: distinguish critique of a method from ad hominem attack.
- Respect for individuals: avoid any stigmatization of victims and activists.
Public speech: a shared responsibility
A word too many can undo years of public caution. The Folies Bergère episode is not just a slip: it questions how institutions, artists, and citizens communicate. Between law and symbols, anger and calm, the choice of words remains a political act. Here, it reminds everyone – public figures and activists alike – of the responsibility to carry a firm debate on violence. However, this debate must be respectful of individuals.