Brigitte Macron under fire after calling feminist activists ‘stupid bitches’

French President Emmanuel Macron’s wife Brigitte sparked outrage after calling feminist protesters sales connes — roughly translated as “stupid bitches” — backstage at a comedy show.

In a since-deleted clip published by gossip outlet Public, Brigitte Macron is seen asking comedian Ary Abittan before his performance how he is doing, to which the former responds that he is “afraid,” likely referencing the possibility of protesters interrupting his show.

Abittan is on his first tour since investigating judges decided not to charge him with a crime after he was accused of rape. While the plaintiff was found to have suffered post-traumatic stress, justice officials said they could not establish sufficient grounds to determine that the sexual encounter had been forced. Abittan has denied wrongdoing and said the act was consensual.

After Abittan said he was afraid, the French first lady responded: “if there are stupid bitches, we’ll toss them out.”

Abittan’s return was protested by the feminist group Nous Toutes, whose members disrupted the show to denounce what they called a “communication campaign aimed at portraying him as a traumatized person while humiliating and belittling the victim.”

In a statement to French newswire AFP published Monday, Macron’s office said the remark should be understood as “criticism of the radical methods used by those who disrupted and obstructed Ary Abittan’s show.”

Condemnation came from political figures across party lines, as well as activists and film industry professionals.

Marine Tondelier, head of the French Greens, called the remark “extremely grave” and conservative Senator Agnès Evren described it as “very sexist.”

Prisca Thévenot, a lawmaker from the president’s party and former government spokesperson, deemed the comment “inelegant.”

“When it comes to women fighting against violence against women, we don’t speak that way,” former President François Hollande said Tuesday on RTL.

Judith Godrèche, the French actress who has played a central role in confronting sexual violence in the film industry, took to Instagram to criticize Macron.

“I too am a stupid bitch. And I support all the others,” she wrote.