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Ten people have been convicted by a Paris court for cyber-bullying Brigitte Macron, France's first lady, after spreading false and malicious claims about her gender, sexuality, and marriage to President Emmanuel Macron.
The ruling followed years of online harassment that accused Brigitte Macron of being born male and alleged she had changed her identity. The court found that eight men and two women acted with a deliberate intention to harm her reputation, describing their comments as degrading, insulting, and persistent.
Judges handed down suspended prison sentences of up to eight months to most of the defendants. One individual was jailed immediately after failing to attend court. Several others were ordered to pay fines, attend cyber-harassment awareness courses, and were temporarily banned from using the social media platforms where the abuse was posted.
Among those convicted were figures who had previously promoted conspiracy theories questioning the existence of France's first lady. Claims circulating online alleged that Brigitte Macron was actually her brother, Jean-Michel Trogneux, a narrative that has repeatedly been rejected by French courts and independent fact-checkers.
Brigitte Macron's lawyer said the outcome sent an important message, emphasizing that suspending accounts and enforcing prevention measures mattered as much as prison sentences. He added that the case was intended to deter future online abuse, particularly against women in public life.
During the trial, Brigitte Macron's daughter, Tiphaine Auzière, testified that the sustained harassment had affected her mother's health and daily life. She told the court that the attacks also impacted the family's children, who were mocked at school because of the rumours.
The verdict comes as the Macrons pursue a separate defamation lawsuit in the United States against right-wing influencer Candace Owens. Owens has repeatedly promoted the same conspiracy theories on her podcast and social media platforms, at one point stating she would stake her professional reputation on the claims.
For years, the presidential couple largely ignored online gossip, believing legal action would only amplify the rumours. However, they later decided the scale and persistence of the attacks made silence impossible.
