Amidst the commemorations of the 1918 Armistice, Tibo InShape has sparked a heated controversy on social media. In a video posted on Wednesday, November 11, the most followed French YouTuber features a veiled fitness coach using a French flag to cover her hair. Presented as a message of unity, the video has been denounced by internet users as a misappropriation of the national symbol. The support given to the video by the Bleuet de France (Cornflower of France) charity has also generated reactions.
A French flag used as an Islamic veil
The video posted by Tibo InShape features the famous YouTuber alongside Leïla Zidani, a fitness coach who usually wears an Islamic headscarf. In the footage, the influencer takes down a French flag and gives it to the young woman, who then uses it to cover her hair like a hijab.
The post is accompanied by the message: "United under the same flag ." This slogan, intended to promote unity around the national colors, has drawn considerable criticism for its execution.
Several internet users are denouncing the use of the French tricolor flag as a religious garment. The choice of November 11th to release this video is fueling the controversy, as France commemorates the 1918 Armistice and pays tribute to soldiers who died for their country.
The support of the Bleuet de France charity is controversial.
The controversy takes on a new dimension with the reaction of the official account of the Bleuet de France, a symbol of remembrance and solidarity towards veterans, war wounded, wards of the Nation and victims of terrorism.
Under Tibo InShape's post, the account supports the initiative with this comment: "With the same symbol of memory and solidarity: the Bleuet de France 💙".
This stance has in turn sparked criticism. Internet users are accusing the organization of supporting a staged event that associates the national flag with a religious symbol, precisely on the day France honors its dead.
Tibo InShape had already defended the wearing of the veil in sports
This post is not Tibo InShape's first stance on the Islamic veil. In March 2025, the YouTuber publicly defended the wearing of the veil in sporting activities , at a time when a proposed law aimed at banning it in amateur competitions was being debated.
He had notably declared: "For me, sport must remain a moment of freedom that brings us together." He then defended the possibility of practicing a sporting activity while wearing a cross, a kippah or a veil, in the name of individual freedom.
The YouTuber had also stated that sport promotes integration and should not exclude women wishing to wear the veil.
This contrasts with his previous statements about the French flag.
The controversy also recalls Tibo InShape's previous statements on respecting national symbols. Regularly criticized for displaying a French flag in his gym, the influencer defended his patriotism by stating: "The French flag, we respect it."
In October 2025, he had further explained that he considered the tricolour flag to be an apolitical symbol, regretting that its use was sometimes associated with the far right.
However, on Wednesday, November 11th, it was a very different use of the same flag that placed the YouTuber at the center of discussions. The video, presented as a call for national unity, continues to divide internet users on this day of commemoration.
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