A court in Paris has delivered a landmark verdict, finding ten individuals guilty of orchestrating a sustained campaign of online harassment against Brigitte Macron, the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron. The defendants were convicted for spreading malicious falsehoods about the First Lady's gender and sexuality, as well as making derogatory comments about the couple's age difference.
The Verdict and Sentences
The judicial panel ruled that the eight men and two women acted with a clear intent to cause harm, posting content that was both degrading and insulting. Most of the accused received suspended prison sentences of up to eight months. One defendant was jailed immediately for failing to appear in court. Additionally, the court ordered the suspension of several social media accounts belonging to the perpetrators.
Jean Ennochi, the lawyer representing Brigitte Macron, emphasized that the prevention courses mandated for the guilty parties and the account suspensions were among the most significant outcomes of the trial. This case underscores a growing legal stance against digital abuse.
Personal Toll and Family Impact
The human cost of the cyberbullying was starkly presented during the trial. Tiphaine Auzière, Brigitte Macron's daughter from a previous marriage, testified that the relentless online attacks had severely affected her mother's health and daily life. She revealed that her mother has become excessively cautious about her clothing and public posture, knowing that any image could be twisted to fuel baseless theories.
While Brigitte Macron has "learned to live with it," the repercussions extended to her grandchildren, who faced taunts at school because of the viral conspiracy theories. This testimony highlighted how online harassment can spill over to impact an entire family.
Broader Legal Battles and Conspiracy Theories
This ruling in France is a precursor to a larger, upcoming defamation trial in the United States. The Macron family has filed a lawsuit against right-wing commentator Candace Owens, who has repeatedly promoted the false claim that Brigitte Macron is transgender. Owens has stated she would stake her "entire professional reputation" on this belief.
The conspiracy theory, which falsely alleges that Brigitte Macron is the transitioned brother of Jean-Michel Trogneux, has circulated online since President Macron's first election in 2017. Notably, two defendants in the French case, Natacha Rey and Amandine Roy, were initially convicted of slander in 2024 for promoting this claim but were later cleared on appeal. The appeals court argued that alleging a gender change did not necessarily constitute an attack on a person's honor. The Macrons are now appealing this specific point to a higher court.
Initially advised to ignore the online gossip to avoid amplifying it, the presidential couple changed their strategy last year. They decided the scale of the attacks had become too vast to overlook, leading them to pursue legal action despite the risk of further public exposure of their private lives.
