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, which included eight men and two women, was found to have deliberately posted insulting content on social media, including conspiracy theories about her gender and sexuality, as well as attacks on the age difference between her and the president. The court ruled that their actions showed a deliberate intent to cause harm.
Most of those convicted received suspended prison sentences of up to eight months, along with penalties such as mandatory educational programs and temporary suspensions of their social media accounts. One defendant was immediately taken into custody after failing to appear in court.
Some of the harassment mirrored earlier claims made by internet personalities Natacha Rey and Amandine Roy, who previously suggested that Brigitte Macron did not exist and was actually the president’s brother living under a false identity. While they were initially convicted of slander in 2024, an appeals court overturned the verdict, ruling that alleging 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 ruling’s most significant impact lies in measures aimed at preventing repeat offences, including educational programs and account suspensions. During the trial, her daughter, Tiphaine Auzière, testified that the persistent online abuse had affected her mother’s health, daily life, and even her grandchildren, who were teased at school. She explained that Brigitte Macron had become constantly conscious of how her appearance and behaviour could be weaponized by conspiracy theorists.
