A Paris court has found ten people guilty of cyber-bullying Brigitte Macron, the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron. The defendants were accused of spreading false claims about her gender and sexuality, as well as making malicious remarks about the 24-year age gap between the couple.
Most of the defendants received suspended prison sentences of up to eight months, but one was jailed immediately for failing to appear in court. The judge emphasized that all ten acted with a clear intention to inflict harm on Brigitte Macron, whose dignity was degraded through the comments made online.
Two of the defendants, including independent journalist Natacha Rey and internet fortune-teller Amandine Roy, had previously been convicted of slander in 2024 for asserting that France's First Lady never existed. They claimed her brother Jean-Michel Trogneux underwent gender reassignment to assume her identity. However, both had earlier libel convictions overturned.
This ruling serves as a prelude to a more extensive trial in the U.S., where the Macrons have launched a defamation lawsuit against right-wing influencer Candace Owens, who has propagated similar conspiracy theories regarding the First Lady's gender. The Macrons allege that Owens disregarded credible evidence contradicting her claims while favoring known conspiracy theorists.
Owens has frequently reiterated these claims on her podcast and social media platforms, stating her willingness to stake her professional reputation on the assertion that Mrs. Macron 'is in fact a man.' This conspiracy theory has been circulating since Macron's election in 2017.
Brigitte Macron, who first met her husband when she was teaching him at his secondary school, married Emmanuel Macron in 2007, making headlines for their 24-year age difference.
