A Paris court has convicted 10 individuals for cyberbullying France’s first lady, Brigitte Macron, by circulating false online allegations regarding her gender and sexuality, including claims about her being born male. The court handed down sentences ranging from six months in prison for one defendant to suspended sentences of four to eight months for eight others. All 10 were mandated to undergo cyberbullying awareness training.
The court denounced the “particularly degrading, insulting, and malicious” remarks that propagated false assertions insinuating that Brigitte Macron was transgender and a pedophile. The court emphasized the cumulative detrimental impact of the repeated false publications.
The accused, comprising eight men and two women aged between 41 and 65, were charged with disseminating numerous comments falsely asserting that President Emmanuel Macron’s spouse was originally male and drawing parallels between their 24-year age disparity and pedophilia. Some of these posts garnered tens of thousands of views.
Despite Brigitte Macron’s absence from the two-day trial in October, she expressed on TF1 national television her motivation for initiating legal actions as a means to combat harassment and set an example. Her lawyer, Jean Ennochi, highlighted the importance of immediate cyberbullying awareness training and, for certain defendants, restrictions on social media usage.
The trial featured testimony from Brigitte Macron’s daughter, Tiphaine Auzière, who described the adverse impact of the intensified online harassment on her mother’s well-being. Auzière noted that the repercussions extended beyond her mother to affect the entire family, including Macron’s grandchildren.
One defendant, a property asset manager, received a six-month prison sentence, which under French law may be served at home with monitoring conditions. Another defendant, Delphine Jegousse, 51, also known as Amandine Roy and self-identified as a medium and author, received a six-month prison sentence for her significant role in spreading the false rumors.
Aurelien Poirson-Atlan, 41, known as Zoe Sagan on social media, who had his account suspended in 2024 due to involvement in judicial investigations, was sentenced to eight months in prison along with a gallery owner. The only defendant not sentenced to prison, a teacher who expressed remorse during the trial, was mandated to attend cyberbullying awareness training.
Several defendants faced a six-month suspension of their online access on the platforms where they made the defamatory posts. Additionally, all 10 individuals were collectively ordered to pay 10,000 euros in compensation to Brigitte Macron for moral damages.
During the proceedings, some defendants claimed their posts were intended as humor or satire, expressing confusion over the legal repercussions. The case follows years of baseless conspiracy theories alleging that Brigitte Macron was born under the name 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.
Brigitte Macron, 72, and Emmanuel Macron, 48, who have been married since 2007, met at a high school where he was a student and she was a teacher. Emmanuel Macron has served as France’s president since 2017.