Journalist Sandra Muller, creator of #Balancetonporc (French equivalent of #MeToo), which went viral in the wake of the Weinstein scandal in 2017, is to be judged on Wednesday in a defamation suit filed by a man she accused on Twitter.
Muller, a journalist at La Lettre de l’audiovisuel, started an entire online movement in the French-speaking world on 13 October 2017, when she tweeted a message hashtagged “balancetonporc”, calling on victims of sexual harassment on the job to write about it, giving names and details.
Four hours later, her initial message was followed by a tweet: “+you have big breasts. You’re my type of woman. I’m going to make you come throughout the night. +Eric Brion, former boss of Equidia #balancetonporc.”
The voices of thousands of women denouncing sexual harassment or abuse were liberated by #balancetonporc, which went viral in no time, and by its English-language equivalent, #MeToo, launched by actress Alyssa Milano.
The tweet naming consultant Eric Brion, former director general of the Equidia TV channel, was retweeted 2,500 times.
Brion, who is also the former Director General of the Equidia TV channel, sued Sandra Muller for defamation, demanding 50,000 euros in damages and interest, 15,000 euros in legal costs, the deletion of the tweet mentioning his name, and judicial publications.
The Brussels Times
