The defendants, eight men and two women, were found guilty of spreading malicious and defamatory content online, including the false allegation that Brigitte Macron was born under the name Jean-Michel Trogneux—a name that actually belongs to her older brother.
By Titilope Adako
A Paris court on Monday convicted ten individuals for cyberbullying France’s first lady, Brigitte Macron, over false claims that she is transgender.
The defendants, eight men and two women, were found guilty of spreading malicious and defamatory content online, including the false allegation that Brigitte Macron was born under the name Jean-Michel Trogneux—a name that actually belongs to her older brother.
The court ruled that the posts amounted to sustained cyber-harassment targeting her gender and sexuality.
Brigitte and President Emmanuel Macron have long been subjected to conspiracy theories and personal attacks, often referencing their 24-year age difference, but they have recently begun taking legal action to challenge such claims.
Judges noted that some of the online posts went so far as to compare the couple’s age difference to “paedophilia,” a comparison described as particularly harmful.
Sentences varied among the convicted.
One defendant received an unsuspended six-month prison term, while others were handed suspended sentences of up to eight months.
Additional penalties included fines, mandatory cyber-harassment awareness courses, and bans for five of the convicted from using the social media platforms where the abuse occurred.
Some defendants argued that their posts were jokes protected under freedom of expression, but the court rejected this defence.
Among them, 55-year-old gallery owner and writer Bertrand Scholler said he would appeal his six-month suspended sentence, claiming it threatened freedom of speech.
Speaking on TF1 on Sunday night, Brigitte Macron explained her decision to pursue legal action, saying she hoped it would encourage others, particularly young people, to stand against online harassment.
She revealed that some perpetrators had even accessed her tax records and altered personal details.
“A birth certificate is not nothing; it is a father or a mother who declares their child, who says who he is or who she is,” she said. “I want to help adolescents fight harassment, and if I do not set an example, it will be difficult.”
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