Rapper Booba Could Face Prison Over France’s Largest Cyberbullying Case In History

Booba faces a potential trial for cyberbullying after Paris prosecutors requested charges against the French rapper for his three-year online campaign targeting Magali Berdah.

The 49-year-old Hip-Hop veteran launched his “influvoleurs” crusade in May 2022 against social media personalities he accused of deceptive business practices.

Berdah, who founded the Shauna Events talent agency, became his primary target during the extended harassment campaign.

Prosecutors documented an average of 1.3 posts per day for an entire year, with content that attacked Berdah’s appearance and religious background.

The posts included comparisons to animals and demons while targeting her family and personal relationships.

The rap star allegedly mobilized his “pirates” fanbase to amplify the harassment through coordinated trolling efforts across multiple platforms. His followers repeatedly shared and commented on posts that contained personal information about Berdah’s private life.

Twenty-eight people already received prison sentences for participating in the harassment campaign that Booba initiated against the businesswoman through his posts on X and Instagram.

Berdah told investigators the harassment caused severe psychological damage and forced her to seek medical treatment for stress-related conditions.

She received a 15-day medical leave prescription due to the mental health impact of the sustained attacks.

“Booba wanted to destroy me and make me unemployable,” Berdah told AFP in a statement. “I suffered tremendously from this inhuman harassment and my family did too. I even tried to end it all several times.”

The influencer agent filed a civil lawsuit seeking nearly $47 million in damages from Booba’s music royalties and bank accounts. Her legal team argues the campaign destroyed her reputation and caused massive financial losses to her talent management business.

Booba’s attorneys, Marie Roumiantseva and Gilles Vercken, called the prosecutor’s request “the normal course of proceedings” and indicated they expected the development.

The investigating judge must now decide whether to order a formal trial.

The rapper continues posting on social media despite being under investigation and faces additional cyberbullying charges involving Gims’ girlfriend Demdem.

The couple accused Booba of conducting a six-year campaign of psychological harassment through social media posts that mocked Gims’ appearance and targeted Demdem personally.

Paris police detained Booba for questioning after Gims and Demdem’s complaint, with authorities investigating allegations of cyberbullying and discriminatory insults.

His April court date for separate harassment charges against a journalist and essayist remains scheduled.

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