A Paris court has convicted 10 individuals for cyberbullying Brigitte Macron, the first lady of France, by spreading false online rumors about her gender and sexuality. The accusations included claims that she was born as a male. Among the defendants, one was sentenced to six months in prison, while eight received suspended sentences ranging from four to eight months. Additionally, all 10 were mandated to undergo cyberbullying awareness training.
The court highlighted the “particularly degrading, insulting, and malicious” nature of the comments, which falsely suggested that Brigitte Macron was transgender and a pedophile. The repeated publications were deemed to have cumulatively harmful effects.
The defendants, comprising eight men and two women aged between 41 and 65, were accused of making numerous false comments asserting that the spouse of President Emmanuel Macron was originally male and equating their 24-year age gap to pedophilia. Some of these posts garnered tens of thousands of views.
Although Brigitte Macron did not attend the two-day trial in October, she emphasized on national television the importance of taking legal action to combat harassment. Her lawyer, Jean Ennochi, stressed the significance of immediate cyberbullying awareness training and imposed social media account restrictions on some defendants.
During the trial, Brigitte Macron’s daughter, Tiphaine Auzière, testified about the adverse impact of the online harassment on her mother’s life, describing it as a “deterioration.” The repercussions extended to the whole family, including Macron’s grandchildren.
Various penalties were imposed on the defendants, with one receiving a six-month prison sentence, which could be served at home under certain conditions. Notably, Delphine Jegousse, also known as Amandine Roy, was given a six-month prison term for her significant role in spreading the false claims through a lengthy video on her YouTube channel.
Specifically, Aurelien Poirson-Atlan, alias Zoe Sagan on social media, had his account suspended and received an eight-month prison sentence, along with another defendant who was a gallery owner. A teacher among the defendants, who expressed remorse during the trial, was spared a prison sentence but was required to attend cyberbullying awareness training.
Moreover, some defendants argued that their posts were meant as humor, while the case stemmed from persistent conspiracy theories falsely alleging Brigitte Macron’s birth under a different name. The Macrons have also pursued a defamation suit in the United States against conservative influencer Candace Owens.
The sentences imposed on all 10 defendants included a joint compensation payment of 10,000 euros to Brigitte Macron for moral damages. The court emphasized that the severity of the comments determined the corresponding penalties.
French judicial authorities did not disclose the defendants’ names, although some voluntarily made their identities public during the trial. The Macrons, who have been married since 2007, met while Emmanuel Macron was a student at the high school where Brigitte was a teacher. Brigitte Macron, 72, is 24 years older than her husband, who has been serving as France’s president since 2017.