A Paris court has convicted 10 individuals for cyberbullying Brigitte Macron, the first lady of France, by disseminating false information online about her gender and sexuality, including baseless claims that she was born male.
Among the defendants, one was sentenced to six months in prison, while the remaining eight received suspended sentences ranging from four to eight months. Additionally, all 10 were mandated to undergo cyberbullying awareness training.
The court highlighted the “highly degrading, insulting, and malicious” nature of the comments that propagated false narratives suggesting Brigitte Macron’s transgender identity and unfounded accusations of pedophilia.
The defendants, comprising eight men and two women aged between 41 and 65, were accused of making multiple false posts asserting that the wife of President Emmanuel Macron was originally male and drawing inappropriate comparisons between their 24-year age gap and pedophilia. Some of these posts garnered tens of thousands of views.
Brigitte Macron did not attend the two-day trial held in October. However, in a statement on TF1 national television, she expressed her decision to pursue legal action as a means to combat harassment and set an example.
Her lawyer, Jean Ennochi, emphasized the importance of immediate cyberbullying awareness training for the defendants and imposed restrictions on social media usage for some individuals.
During the proceedings, Tiphaine Auzière, Brigitte Macron’s daughter, testified about the negative impact of online harassment on her mother’s life, describing it as a distressing experience that has affected the entire family, including Macron’s grandchildren.
The court handed down various sentences, including a six-month prison term for a property asset manager and a six-month sentence for Delphine Jegousse, also known as Amandine Roy, who played a significant role in spreading the false rumors through a lengthy video on her YouTube channel.
Aurelien Poirson-Atlan, known as Zoe Sagan on social media, and a gallery owner were each given an eight-month prison sentence. The defendants expressed regret during the trial, with one defendant, a teacher, issuing an apology and committing to attend cyberbullying awareness training.
Furthermore, several defendants will face a six-month suspension of their online access on the social media platforms where the offensive posts were made. Additionally, all 10 individuals were collectively ordered to pay 10,000 euros in compensation to Brigitte Macron for the emotional distress caused.
The court emphasized that the sentences were commensurate with the severity of the comments made by the defendants, some of whom argued during the trial that their posts were intended as humor or satire.
This legal action follows years of unfounded conspiracy theories alleging that Brigitte Macron was born under a different name, Jean-Michel Trogneux, which is actually her brother’s name. The Macrons have also initiated a defamation lawsuit in the United States against conservative influencer Candace Owens.
Brigitte Macron, 72 years old and married to Emmanuel Macron since 2007, met her husband at the high school where she taught and he was a student. Emmanuel Macron, aged 48, has been serving as the President of France since 2017.