A Paris court has convicted 10 individuals for cyberbullying Brigitte Macron, France’s first lady, by spreading false information online regarding her gender and sexuality, including baseless claims that she was born male. The court issued a six-month prison sentence to one defendant, while the other eight received suspended sentences ranging from four to eight months. Additionally, all 10 were mandated to participate in cyberbullying awareness training.
The court emphasized the “particularly degrading, insulting, and malicious” nature of the comments, which falsely alleged that Brigitte Macron was transgender and a pedophile. The continuous dissemination of these falsehoods was deemed to have had a harmful and cumulative impact.
The defendants, comprising eight men and two women aged between 41 and 65, were accused of making numerous false statements suggesting that President Emmanuel Macron’s wife was originally male and likening their significant age gap to pedophilia. Some of these posts garnered tens of thousands of views.
Brigitte Macron did not personally attend the two-day trial held in October. However, in a televised statement on TF1 national television, she highlighted her decision to pursue legal action as a means to set an example in combating harassment.
Her legal representative, Jean Ennochi, stressed the importance of immediate cyberbullying awareness training and, for certain defendants, the imposition of restrictions on their social media usage.
Testifying in court, Brigitte Macron’s daughter, Tiphaine Auzière, spoke about the adverse impact of the online harassment on her mother’s well-being, describing it as a significant disruption to her life. Auzière noted that the repercussions extended to the entire family, including Macron’s grandchildren.
Among the defendants, a property asset manager was sentenced to six months in prison, which may be served at home in accordance with French law. Delphine Jegousse, also known as Amandine Roy and identified as a medium and author, received a similar six-month prison term for her pivotal role in spreading the false rumors through a lengthy video on her YouTube channel.
Aurelien Poirson-Atlan, known as Zoe Sagan on social media, had their account suspended in 2024 following their involvement in various judicial inquiries. Poirson-Atlan and another defendant, a gallery owner, were handed eight-month prison sentences.
One defendant, a teacher, expressed remorse during the trial and was not given a prison term but was instructed to undergo cyberbullying awareness training. Several defendants will face a six-month suspension of their online access on the platforms where they posted the defamatory content.
All 10 individuals were collectively ordered to pay 10,000 euros (approximately $16,000 Cdn) in compensation to Brigitte Macron for the moral distress caused. The court underscored that the severity of the sentences was commensurate with the gravity of the comments.
During the court proceedings, some defendants defended their actions by claiming that their posts were intended as humor or satire, expressing confusion over the legal repercussions they faced.
This case is part of a broader trend of unfounded conspiracy theories alleging Brigitte Macron’s supposed birth name as Jean-Michel Trogneux, which is actually her brother’s name. The Macrons have also initiated a defamation lawsuit in the United States against conservative influencer Candace Owens.
Emmanuel Macron, who has been married to Brigitte since 2007, met her while he was a high school student and she was a teacher. Brigitte Macron, aged 72, is 24 years older than her husband and was previously known as Brigitte Auzière, a married mother of three. Emmanuel Macron, aged 48, assumed office as France’s president in 2017.