A Paris court has convicted ten individuals for online harassment targeting Brigitte Macron, the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, after they spread false and abusive claims about her identity and personal life
The group, comprising eight men and two women, was found to have deliberately posted insulting and degrading content on social media, including conspiracy theories about her gender and sexuality, and hostile remarks about the age gap between her and the president. The court ruled that their actions demonstrated a clear intent to cause harm.
Most of those convicted received suspended prison sentences of up to eight months, alongside penalties such as mandatory prevention courses and temporary suspensions of their social media accounts. One defendant was taken into custody immediately after failing to appear in court.
Some of the harassment mirrored earlier claims made by internet personalities Natacha Rey and Amandine Roy, who previously alleged that Brigitte Macron did not exist and was actually the president’s brother living under a false identity.
Although they were convicted of slander in 2024, an appeals court later overturned those verdicts, ruling that claiming a gender transition does not automatically constitute an attack on someone’s honour. The Macrons have since appealed the decision to France’s highest court.
Brigitte Macron’s lawyer, Jean Ennochi, said the most significant aspect of the ruling lies in measures designed to prevent repeat offences, particularly the educational programs and account suspensions.
During the trial, her daughter, Tiphaine Auzière, testified that the sustained online abuse had affected her mother’s health, daily life, and even her grandchildren, who faced teasing at school. She described how Brigitte Macron had become constantly conscious of how her appearance and behaviour could be weaponised by conspiracy theorists.
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