Tuesday, October 28, 2025 - Ten individuals are set to go on trial in Paris, facing charges related to the cyberbullying of France’s First Lady, Brigitte Macron.
The defendants are accused of spreading "numerous
malicious comments" online, including persistent conspiracy theories about
her gender and sexuality. The two-day trial is a significant step in the
Macrons' years-long legal fight against the online proliferation of false
claims.
The Paris prosecutor's office stated that the eight women and
two men aged between 41 and 60are accused of spreading various "malicious
comments" about Mrs Macron.
This content includes false claims that she was born a man
named Jean-Michel Trogneux and comments about the 24-year age gap with her
husband, President Emmanuel Macron, which they allegedly characterized as
"paedophilia."
The defendants come from a diverse range of professions,
including a woman who presents herself as a medium, an advertising executive
(whose account on X has since been suspended), an elected official, a teacher,
and a computer scientist. Some of the defendants were highly active on social
media, with their posts sometimes reaching tens of thousands of views.
The Macrons have been dogged by these conspiracy theories for
years, most recently after the rumor was propagated online by prominent U.S.
conservative influencer Candace Owens.
This is not the first legal victory for the First Lady on
this matter. In September 2024, Brigitte and her brother, Jean-Michel Trogneux,
won a defamation suit against two women who were initially sentenced to fines
and damages for spreading the same claims.
However, a Paris appeals court overturned that ruling in
July, prompting the Macrons to take the case to France's highest court.
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