Credits: Presidencia de la República Mexicana / Wikimedia Commons — CC BY 2.0.
After #NousToutes (France) action on December 6, 2025 at the Folies Bergère, Paris 9th arrondissement, a backstage video appears. It shows Brigitte Macron calling activists “dirty bitches.” Published on December 8, it sparks a national controversy: those close to her claim she was criticizing the tactic, while associations denounce contempt. Legal context: Ary Abittan obtained a dismissal of charges (Ary Abittan case) on 03/04/2024, confirmed on 01/30/2025.
What The Video Shows And What Really Happened At The Folies Bergère
In a short clip shot backstage at the Folies Bergère in Paris, Brigitte Macron is heard hurling a First Lady insult (“dirty bitches”) at activists who had disrupted comedian Ary Abittan’s show the day before. The First Lady adds that “we’re going to throw them out” and mentions “masked bandits.” The Brigitte Macron backstage video, published by the weekly Public on December 8, 2025, quickly spread on social media. As a result, it triggered a national controversy within hours.
On Saturday December 6, 2025, four feminist activists in Paris from the #NousToutes (France) collective had interrupted an Ary Abittan performance by chanting “Abittan rapist” and wearing masks bearing his likeness with the word “rapist.” The show resumed after they were escorted out. The next day, December 7, Brigitte Macron attended another performance, alongside her daughter Tiphaine Auzière. The filmed exchange took place before the curtain went up.
An Immediate Controversy, Amplified Online
As soon as the video went online, the hashtag #SalesConnes spread widely. Black-background visuals turned the phrase into a slogan. Actress Judith Godrèche, now one of the most visible figures in the fight against sexual violence in film, wrote: “Me too, I’m a dirty bitch.” The #NousToutes (France) collective shared the clip. It says it shows contempt for committed activists. These activists fight against violence against women.
In Brigitte Macron’s circle, people argue that the First Lady is targeting the method used — a masked interruption to stop an artist from performing — and not the feminist cause, or victims. That explanation does not end the controversy: the wording, seen as hurtful, dominates public discussion for forty-eight hours.
Legal Reminder: Where Does The Abittan Case Stand?
The criminal case has been closed: indicted in 2021 for rape, Ary Abittan was granted a dismissal of charges (Ary Abittan case) on April 3, 2024, upheld on appeal on January 30, 2025. The comedian is therefore allowed to return to the stage. The chants heard during the action at the Folies Bergère are quotes attributed to activists. They do not amount to a legal classification. This reminder is essential to avoid any confusion between accusation, investigation, and court decision.
Who Says What? A Roundup Of Reactions
On the association side, #NousToutes (France) describes the remarks as deeply shocking. They see them as “another spit in the face” of victims and the feminist movement. Political leaders react in turn. Marine Tondelier, leader of The Greens, says “these remarks are extremely serious” and that “a First Lady should not say that.” Manon Aubry, LFI MEP, links the episode to the promise made at the start of the term. That promise was to make women’s rights a major cause. She denounces a contradiction and calls for the Macron couple to step down. Sarah Legrain, LFI member of Parliament, points out that “a dismissal of charges does not erase a woman’s testimony or medical leave days.”
François Hollande, speaking on RTL, calls for calm. He says one can criticize the form of an action. However, “when it’s women fighting violence against women, you use appropriate language.” In fact, you don’t say words like that. The former president stresses the risk of verbal escalation and the value of a return to calm.
A Theater, Backstage, Screens: The Story Of One Sequence
Folies Bergère, Paris 9th arrondissement. The historic venue is sold out. The performers go from stage fright to laughter in seconds. Ary Abittan says: “I’m scared.” Across from him, Brigitte Macron smiles, a few words of support, then the sentence that will travel across the country. The camera, held at shoulder height, captures the exchange.
The next day, the clip is posted online. It immediately enters a now-familiar cycle: extraction, short edit, viral spread, recontextualization by collectives, political reactions, then TV debate. Within hours, the episode becomes part of a battle of narratives — creative freedom vs. the freedom to protest, everyday language vs. public language, law and morality.
A Matter 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 setting amounts, in the digital age, to speaking in public. The words spill out of the backstage area, reach the stage, then the media space. They hit harder because the executive branch has repeatedly highlighted this priority. Indeed, the fight against sexist and sexual violence is a stated priority.
On camera, Brigitte Macron’s circle separates method from cause. The activists, for their part, believe the vocabulary used normalizes contempt for associations and victims. Between the two, many citizens recognize the tension: one can challenge a stage interruption without insulting its authors. That is the line defended by François Hollande.
Freedom To Create, Freedom To Protest
Performance venues are places of creation and exchange. The right to protest exists. When activists interrupt a show to denounce a booking, they are exercising a political act. That act jostles audience members who came “to laugh.” When a public figure disses those activists, it jostles those who are committed against violence in return.
This collision of freedoms requires a framework: venue security, the proportionality of responses, the choice of words. A firm and measured escort out is better than brutal stigmatization. And public debate gains clarity when positions are stated without invective.
The Role Of Social Media
The media cycle is no longer only a matter for newsrooms: Instagram, Bluesky, and X now shape how events are received. The hashtags #SalesConnes and #NousToutes gather testimonies, statements, and slogans. The graphic frame (black background, white typography) makes reuse easier.
This dynamic accelerates polarization: within hours, positions harden. Messages of support or outrage pile up. In this flow, the reminder of the facts — dates, places, court decisions — becomes even more necessary.
An Emphatically Political Sequence
The Green and left-wing opposition sees the episode as a symptom: between promises of equality and the language used, there would be a disconnect. On the presidential side, officials point to spontaneity and irritation at a method viewed as radical.
The tightrope is narrow: uphold a public policy against violence, defend artists’ freedom, guarantee the freedom to protest, and maintain a quality of speech worthy of institutional office. That equation plays out with every controversy and weighs on the presidential couple’s image.
Beyond The Moment: What Does This Case Say About Our Public Debate?
This sequence recalls the fragility of our democratic rituals. Words move boundaries: they can hurt, bring people together, or illuminate. When roles — activists, artists, public officials — collide in the space of a theater, society as a whole is reflected there.
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 much the choice of words and the conduct of debate remain decisive.
Chronological Benchmarks
- Late 2021: accusation against Ary Abittan.
- April 3, 2024: dismissal of charges issued (Ary Abittan case).
- January 30, 2025: dismissal of charges confirmed on appeal.
- December 6, 2025: #NousToutes action at the Folies Bergère.
- December 7, 2025: backstage video in which Brigitte Macron says the words that will spark controversy.
- December 8, 2025: Public publishes the clip and online reactions flood in.
Issues Of Responsibility And Usage Precautions
- Responsibility for words: a public figure is always potentially speaking in public.
- Legal accuracy: a systematic reminder of the confirmed dismissal of charges for Ary Abittan (Ary Abittan case).
- Ethics of debate: distinguish between criticism of a method and ad hominem attack.
- Respect for people: avoid any stigmatization of victims and activists.
Public Speech: Shared Responsibility
One word too many can undo years of public caution. The Folies Bergère episode is not just a slip-up: it questions how institutions, artists, and citizens speak to one another. Between law and symbols, anger and calming things down, the choice of words remains a political act. Here, it reminds everyone — public figures and activists alike — of the responsibility to sustain a firm debate on violence. However, that debate must be respectful of people.
Video unavailable