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Court delivers verdict in cyber-bullying case
A Paris court found ten individuals guilty on Monday of targeting Brigitte Macron, wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, with online harassment and false claims about her personal life.
Charges and sentences
The defendants faced accusations of spreading baseless rumors about Brigitte Macron's gender and sexuality, as well as mocking the 24-year age difference between her and her husband. Most received suspended prison sentences of up to eight months, though one was jailed immediately for failing to appear in court. Several also had their social media accounts suspended as part of the ruling.
The presiding judge stated that the group had deliberately sought to harm Brigitte Macron, posting degrading and insulting comments online.
Previous legal battles
Two of the convicted individuals-self-described journalist Natacha Rey and internet fortune-teller Amandine Roy-had previously been found guilty of slander in 2024 for claiming Brigitte Macron had never existed and that her brother, Jean-Michel Trogneux, had transitioned and adopted her identity. However, an appeals court later overturned the conviction, ruling that suggesting someone had changed gender did not inherently constitute an attack on their reputation.
The Macrons are now appealing that decision to France's highest court.
Impact on Brigitte Macron and family
Tiphaine Auzière, Brigitte Macron's daughter from a previous marriage, testified during the trial that the cyber-bullying had taken a toll on her mother's well-being and daily life. She described how Brigitte Macron had become more cautious about her clothing and public behavior, aware that her image was being weaponized to fuel conspiracy theories.
"She has learned to live with it, but the impact on her grandchildren, who faced taunting at school, has been particularly painful," Auzière said.
Broader legal action
The ruling in Paris precedes a larger defamation lawsuit the Macrons have filed in the United States against right-wing influencer Candace Owens. The couple alleges Owens repeatedly promoted the same conspiracy theories about Brigitte Macron's gender, including a March 2024 statement in which Owens vowed to stake her "entire professional reputation" on the claim that the first lady "is in fact a man."
The Macrons initially chose to ignore the online rumors, fearing legal action would amplify them. However, as the scale of the attacks grew, they shifted strategy, opting to confront the conspiracy theorists directly-even at the risk of exposing private details in a U.S. court.
Origins of the conspiracy theory
The false narrative that Brigitte Macron is transgender has circulated since her husband's first presidential campaign in 2017. The couple met when she was a teacher at his high school and married in 2007, when Emmanuel Macron was 29 and Brigitte was in her mid-50s.
Brigitte Macron's lawyer, Jean Ennochi, emphasized the significance of the court's decision, particularly the preventive measures and account suspensions imposed on the perpetrators. "These steps are crucial in addressing such harassment," he told AFP after the verdict.
