A Paris court on Monday found ten individuals guilty of cyber-bullying French first lady Brigitte Macron, ruling that the defendants deliberately spread false claims and degrading remarks about the wife of President Emmanuel Macron.
The court determined that eight men and two women acted with “a clear desire to do harm” by circulating online allegations about Brigitte Macron’s gender and sexuality, as well as repeated attacks focused on the 24-year age difference between her and the French president.
Most of those convicted received suspended prison sentences of up to eight months. One defendant was taken into custody immediately after failing to appear in court. Several of the defendants also had their social media accounts suspended as part of the ruling.
According to the judge, the statements made online were “degrading and insulting” and went beyond political criticism, instead targeting Brigitte Macron personally.
Among those involved were self-described independent journalist Natacha Rey and internet fortune-teller Amandine Roy, who were previously convicted of slander in 2024 for claiming that France’s first lady did not exist and that her brother, Jean-Michel Trogneux, had changed gender and adopted her identity. That earlier conviction was later overturned on appeal, with the court ruling that alleging a gender change was not necessarily an attack on someone’s honor.
The Macrons have since appealed that decision to France’s highest court.
Following Monday’s verdict, Brigitte Macron’s lawyer Jean Ennochi said the penalties imposed were aimed primarily at preventing future abuse. “The most important things are the prevention courses and the suspension of some of the accounts,” Ennochi said, according to BBC.
Testimony during the trial described the personal toll of the online attacks. Tiphaine Auzière, Brigitte Macron’s daughter from a previous marriage, told the court that the harassment had affected her mother’s health and daily life. She said her mother had become cautious about clothing and posture, aware that images would be repurposed to support claims.
The ruling comes as the Macrons pursue legal action in the United States, where they have filed a defamation lawsuit against Candace Owens. Owens has repeatedly promoted similar claims about the first lady on her podcast and social media, stating in March 2024 that she would stake her “entire professional reputation” on the assertion.
The court determined that eight men and two women acted with “a clear desire to do harm” by circulating online allegations about Brigitte Macron’s gender and sexuality, as well as repeated attacks focused on the 24-year age difference between her and the French president.
Most of those convicted received suspended prison sentences of up to eight months. One defendant was taken into custody immediately after failing to appear in court. Several of the defendants also had their social media accounts suspended as part of the ruling.
According to the judge, the statements made online were “degrading and insulting” and went beyond political criticism, instead targeting Brigitte Macron personally.
Among those involved were self-described independent journalist Natacha Rey and internet fortune-teller Amandine Roy, who were previously convicted of slander in 2024 for claiming that France’s first lady did not exist and that her brother, Jean-Michel Trogneux, had changed gender and adopted her identity. That earlier conviction was later overturned on appeal, with the court ruling that alleging a gender change was not necessarily an attack on someone’s honor.
The Macrons have since appealed that decision to France’s highest court.
Following Monday’s verdict, Brigitte Macron’s lawyer Jean Ennochi said the penalties imposed were aimed primarily at preventing future abuse. “The most important things are the prevention courses and the suspension of some of the accounts,” Ennochi said, according to BBC.
Testimony during the trial described the personal toll of the online attacks. Tiphaine Auzière, Brigitte Macron’s daughter from a previous marriage, told the court that the harassment had affected her mother’s health and daily life. She said her mother had become cautious about clothing and posture, aware that images would be repurposed to support claims.
The ruling comes as the Macrons pursue legal action in the United States, where they have filed a defamation lawsuit against Candace Owens. Owens has repeatedly promoted similar claims about the first lady on her podcast and social media, stating in March 2024 that she would stake her “entire professional reputation” on the assertion.
