A Paris court has convicted ten individuals for cyberbullying Brigitte Macron, the First Lady of France, due to the dissemination of false claims concerning her gender and sexuality. The court’s ruling, issued on Monday, follows a two-day trial held in October 2023, during which the defendants faced serious allegations, including accusations that Ms. Macron was born a man.
The court imposed a range of sentences, with penalties varying from mandatory cyberbullying awareness training to suspended prison sentences of up to eight months. The judges characterized the comments made against Ms. Macron as “particularly degrading, insulting, and malicious,” highlighting the harmful nature of the false claims that included derogatory references to her alleged trans identity and unfounded accusations of pedophilia linked to her marriage with President Emmanuel Macron.
The ten defendants, aged between 41 and 65, included eight men and two women who were found guilty of posting numerous malicious comments on social media platforms. Their assertions falsely suggested that the 24-year age difference between the Macrons was indicative of inappropriate behavior. Some of these posts attracted tens of thousands of views, exacerbating the online harassment that Ms. Macron has endured.
Brigitte Macron did not attend the trial, but she spoke publicly in a recent interview on TF1, stating that her decision to pursue legal action was intended to “set an example” in the ongoing battle against harassment. Her daughter, Tiphaine Auzière, testified during the proceedings, describing the “deterioration” in her mother’s quality of life since the harassment intensified. “She cannot ignore the horrible things said about her,” Auzière remarked, noting that the impact of the online abuse has extended to the entire family, including the couple’s grandchildren.
Among the defendants, Delphine Jegousse, 51, who also goes by the name Amandine Roy, was identified as a key figure in spreading the rumors. She gained notoriety after posting a four-hour video on her YouTube channel in 2021 that propagated these false claims. Another defendant, Aurélien Poirson-Atlan, 41, known as Zoé Sagan on social media, had his account suspended in 2024 following his involvement in several judicial inquiries.
The court heard that several of the defendants claimed their comments were meant as humor or satire, expressing confusion over why they faced prosecution. This case follows a troubling trend of conspiracy theories that have circulated for years, falsely asserting that Brigitte Macron was born Jean-Michel Trogneux, a name that actually belongs to her brother.
In addition to the actions taken in France, the Macrons have also initiated a defamation lawsuit in the United States against conservative influencer Candace Owens. The couple, who have been married since 2007, first met at a high school where he was a student and she was a teacher. Brigitte Macron, previously known as Brigitte Auzière, was a married mother of three at the time. Emmanuel Macron, now 48, has served as France’s president since 2017.
This court ruling underscores the seriousness of cyberbullying and the legal system’s response to such acts, particularly when they target public figures. The outcome may serve as a deterrent against similar behavior in the future.
