Logan Paul has walked back his statement about Imane Khelif, admitting he “might be guilty” of disseminating misinformation about the boxer. He maintains his beliefs around biology in sports though, stating “if you disagree you’re a sick fuck.”
Paul’s declaration came in response to the pushback he faced over an earlier claim around boxing at the Olympics. In an Aug. 1 post, Paul misgendered boxer Imane Khelif, referring to her as a man who was “allowed to beat up a woman on a global stage.” After facing backlash over his correction, Paul has deleted the original tweet.
The opinions Paul has doubled down on stem from the highly politicized experience of Imane Khelif during the 2024 Paris Olympics. Logan’s original tweet, which called the match “the purest form of evil,” followed a narrative spread by others, including former President Donald Trump, who promised to “keep men out of women’s sports,” and Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, who called Khelif a male and dubbed the match a “brutal injustice.”
It may actually be that the “delusion” Paul said he’s determined to end is baseless, however. There’s no proof that Imane Khelif, who has participated in the Olympics before as a woman, is biologically male, intersex, or transgender. During the 2023 Women’s World Boxing Championships, Khelif and boxer Lin Yu-Ting failed to meet gender eligibility tests. Allegedly, tests for these boxers showed up as XY. Khelif has recently responded to these allegations insisting they are a conspiracy.
International Boxing Association chair Umar Kremlev later told reporters Khelif has XY chromosomes, but the disqualifications made in the 2023 Championships were for elevated testosterone levels which can be attributed to hyperandrogenism. Plenty of women face this condition for a multitude of reasons, and ahead of the 2024 boxing tournament, Khelif’s testing did not show abnormal testosterone levels. Regardless of speculation on social media, the Paris Boxing Unit did decide Khelif was eligible for the Olympics.
During the controversial fight Khelif participated in this year, her opponent Angela Carini conceded after 46 seconds. Carini did not shake Khelif’s hand, instead collapsing in tears. Carini stated she quit the fight because of “severe pain” in her nose. Regarding Khelif, Carini said she is “not here to judge or pass judgment” on the matter.
Although Carini bowed out of any discussions with her firm statement, that didn’t stop Paul and other influencers from putting their own spin on the situation.
Some users have expressed disappointment at Paul’s decision to deliberately misgender someone he assumed to be transgender. Others compared Paul’s reaction to the backlash to the disdain he expressed when the public began to refer to his PRIME drink as dangerous. At the time, Paul responded to that idea by saying “totally valid… note taken.” Although Paul has shown willingness to consider the facts when it comes to these viral social media situations, he remains adamant about his overall views on similar matters.
