Paris court convicts 10 for cyberbullying, France’s first lady, Brigitte Macron
A Paris court on Monday found 10 individuals guilty of cyberbullying France’s first lady, Brigitte Macron, over false online claims about her gender and sexuality, including allegations that she was born a man. One defendant was sentenced to six months in prison, while eight received suspended sentences ranging from four to eight months. All 10 were ordered to complete cyberbullying awareness training.
The court condemned the comments as “particularly degrading, insulting, and malicious,” noting that repeated posts had caused cumulative harm. The defendants, eight men and two women aged 41 to 65, had posted claims suggesting that Macron was born male and likened her 24-year age gap with President Emmanuel Macron to pedophilia. Some posts reached tens of thousands of views.
Brigitte Macron did not attend the two-day trial in October but said in a recent interview that she pursued legal action to “set an example” against harassment. Her lawyer emphasized the importance of awareness training and, for some defendants, bans on using social media.
Her daughter, Tiphaine Auzière, testified about the negative impact the harassment had on her mother’s life and the family, including Macron’s grandchildren. One of the defendants, a property asset manager, received a six-month prison sentence that may be served at home under monitoring or other conditions.
Defendant Delphine Jegousse, 51, known as Amandine Roy, was deemed a key figure in spreading the rumors after posting a four-hour video on YouTube in 2021; she was sentenced to six months in prison. Aurélien Poirson-Atlan, 41, known on social media as Zoé Sagan, received an eight-month prison sentence, along with another defendant, a gallery owner. One defendant, a teacher who apologized in court, avoided prison but must complete cyberbullying training. Several others will face six-month suspensions from the platforms where they posted.
The court stressed that the sentences were proportional to the severity of the comments. Some defendants argued during the trial that their posts were intended as humor or satire and did not anticipate prosecution.
The case stems from years of conspiracy theories falsely claiming Brigitte Macron was born under the name Jean-Michel Trogneux, which is actually her brother’s name. The Macrons have also filed a defamation suit in the U.S. against conservative influencer Candace Owens.
Brigitte Macron, 24 years older than her husband, was previously Brigitte Auzière, a married mother of three. Emmanuel Macron, 48, has served as France’s president since 2017.
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