French drag performer Nikki Doll has taken legal action against British actor and politician Laurence Fox after he attacked drag queens performing at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, calling them “little perverted harassers” on social media.
The show, which featured a group of drag performers portraying Greek gods, sparked controversy around the world. Fox posted about the show on X, saying: “There's no point in getting emotional when child molesters want to piss you off. Just laugh at the little pervert molesters. Immortality is a curse.”
Nicky Dole, whose real name is Carl Sanchez, announced the lawsuit in a statement from his attorney Anne-Sophie Laguens. The statement said the artists faced online harassment and threats following the July 26 concert.
“Stop Homophobia lawyers have received numerous reports of hate speech, online insults, harassment, threats and defamation,” the statement said, adding that Sanchez, who gained international fame as a contestant on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” has experienced “an unprecedented wave of hostility and hatred” since the performance.
“These messages go beyond artistic criticism, conveying to some a hateful and defamatory conflation, equating the cyclist’s performance with child sexual abuse. These comparisons are dangerous and unacceptable. In this sense, justice is taken seriously, and any post or message equating Nicky Doll’s performance with encouraging child sexual abuse will be reported,” the statement added.
In a separate statement to Today.com, Sanchez addressed Fox directly: “I’m about to sue you again for defamation — the same thing you were sued for and lost.” The drag performer added: “This is my type of activism. I’m going to make him pay for the things that everyone says, because I want to show that it’s time to stop labeling gay people in a vicious way.”
This is not the first time Fox has faced legal action involving a drag performer. He recently lost a High Court libel case brought by Stonewall trustee Simon Blake and drag artist Crystal. Fox was ordered to pay each person £90,000 ($115,200) in damages. The case arose from Fox’s online comments directed at Blake and Crystal after he faced criticism for his comments about Sainsbury’s plans to provide safe spaces for black employees.
French DJ and activist Barbara Boch also filed several police reports after receiving death threats over her participation in the Olympic opening ceremony.
Fox is the leader of the Redemption Party. His most recent acting credit was as Hunter Biden in the Breitbart TV series My Son Hunter (2022).
