TEN TO STAND TRIAL OVER ALLEGED CYBERBULLYING OF BRIGITTE MACRON . (PHOTO).

 Ten to stand trial over alleged cyberbullying of Brigitte Macron 

Ten people are set to face trial Monday in Paris for allegedly cyberbullying Brigitte Macron, the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, through online posts spreading false claims about her gender.

The Paris prosecutor’s office said the eight men and two women are accused of posting “numerous malicious comments” targeting the first lady’s gender and sexuality, including references to her age difference with the president framed as “paedophilia.” The defendants, aged 41 to 60, include a highly active social media user, a woman who presented herself as a medium, an advertising executive, an elected official, a teacher, and a computer scientist. Some posts reportedly amassed tens of thousands of views, with the medium and advertising executive considered central to spreading the claims.

The allegations stem from longstanding conspiracy theories claiming Brigitte Macron was born a man named Jean-Michel Trogneux, a name coincidentally belonging to her brother. The trial follows a defamation suit filed by the Macrons in July in Delaware, seeking damages from U.S. conservative influencer Candace Owens for promoting similar claims.

A verdict in the Paris case is expected at a later date. In September 2024, Brigitte Macron and her brother won a defamation case against two women fined for spreading rumors online, though a Paris appeals court overturned that ruling in July. The siblings have since appealed to France’s highest court.

Brigitte Macron, 71, and Emmanuel Macron, 47, met when he was a high school student and she was a teacher. The couple married in 2007. Emmanuel Macron has served as France’s president since 2017.