Ten Found Guilty of Cyberbullying Brigitte Macron

In a verdict delivered on Monday, a Paris tribunal convicted ten individuals for targeting France's first lady, Brigitte Macron, through a cyberbullying campaign. The accusations involved the dissemination of false assertions regarding her gender identity and sexual orientation, claiming she was male at birth.

The sentences varied among the defendants, ranging from an obligation to participate in cyberbullying education programs to suspended prison terms of up to eight months.

The court highlighted the particularly offensive and demeaning nature of the posts, which falsely linked Brigitte Macron to unfounded allegations of being transgender and engaging in inappropriate relationships due to her age difference with President Emmanuel Macron.

Those convicted included eight men and two women, ages ranging from 41 to 65. They were charged with making numerous harmful online remarks, falsely asserting that Brigitte Macron was a transgender individual, and insinuating sinister motives behind her marriage to Emmanuel Macron, who is 24 years her junior. Some of these posts reached wide audiences, being viewed tens of thousands of times.

Brigitte Macron did not attend the trial in person. However, she expressed on the national TV channel, TF1, the importance of taking legal action as a measure to deter online harassment.

During the trial, her daughter, Tiphaine Auzière, provided testimony about the worsening conditions her mother faced due to the increasing intensity of online abuse. She emphasized the psychological toll it has taken on their entire family, including Brigitte Macron's grandchildren.

Among the defendants, Delphine Jegousse, also known as Amandine Roy on social media, was a pivotal figure in spreading the fallacy. She uploaded a lengthy video on YouTube in 2021, which amplified the baseless rumor.

Defendant Aurélien Poirson-Atlan, recognized as Zoé Sagan in digital spaces, saw his account suspended in 2024 after being implicated in various legal inquiries.

Other individuals found guilty included a local politician, an educator, and a computer technician. Some claimed their statements were intended as satire and expressed confusion over the legal action taken against them.

This case is a continuation of longstanding conspiracy theories that falsely alleged Brigitte Macron was born with the name Jean-Michel Trogneux, which is actually her brother's name.

Brigitte Macron and Emmanuel Macron first crossed paths when he was a student and she was a married teacher. They wed in 2007, with Brigitte, now 24 years older than Emmanuel, having three children from her previous marriage.

Emmanuel Macron has served as the President of France since 2017.