A Paris court has convicted 10 individuals for online harassment of Brigitte Macron, France’s first lady, after they spread false claims that she is a transgender woman. The accused, comprising eight men and two women, used social media to propagate the conspiracy theory that Macron was born male and originally named Jean‑Michel Trogneux, the name of her older brother. Some posts also attempted to link the 24-year age gap between her and her husband, President Emmanuel Macron, to accusations of “pedophilia.”
The court sentenced the offenders to prison terms ranging from six months to eight months, with some receiving suspended sentences. In addition to fines, the convicted individuals were required to take anti-cyber-harassment courses, and five of them were banned from the social media platforms where they posted the abusive content.
This ruling comes as the Macrons pursue a separate defamation case in the United States against commentator Candace Owens, who has also repeated the same false claim about Brigitte Macron. In a TV interview, the first lady revealed that she is taking legal action to combat harassment and to set an example for others who face similar online abuse.
