Ten people found guilty of cyberbullying French first lady Brigitte Macron

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A Paris court on Monday found 10 people guilty of cyberbullying French first lady, Brigitte Macron,exist Latest legal action over false claims She is a transgender woman who was born a man.

The eight men and two women, aged between 41 and 60, are accused of making malicious comments about Ms Macron’s gender and sexual orientation, including equating the age difference between her and her husband with “paedophilia”.

The court said the charges were “particularly degrading, insulting and malicious” and imposed penalties ranging from cyberbullying awareness training to suspended sentences and, in one case, six months in prison.

Ms Macron did not attend the two-day trial in October. Speaking on TF1 state television on Sunday, she said she had launched legal proceedings to “set an example” in the fight against harassment.

Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron have been married since 2007. They first met at the school where he was a student and Brigitte Macron was a teacher. (Associated Press)

The defendant, Delphine Jegousse, 51, who calls herself Amandine Roy and a self-described media personality, is believed to have played a major role in spreading the rumor after she posted a four-hour video on her YouTube channel in 2021.

She is also the subject of a defamation complaint launched by Ms Macron three years ago.

Other defendants include an elected official, a teacher and a computer scientist. Some told the court their comments were made in humor or sarcasm and said they did not understand why they were being prosecuted.

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During the trial, defendant Jérôme A., 49, was asked about posts he wrote or retweeted last year about Ms Macron being a man or having a penis. He told the court “it was just a joke”, adding that his post was “sarcastic” in nature.

All 10 people arrested in December 2024 and February 2025 have denied wrongdoing.

The case follows years of conspiracy theories falsely alleging Ms Macron was born male and given the name Jean-Michel Trogneux, which was actually the name of her brother.

Wild and unsubstantiated claims about Ms Macron’s gender are also rife in the US, with far-right podcaster Candace Owens repeatedly amplifying false claims online that the French First Lady was born a male.

The Macrons have also filed a defamation lawsuit against Ms Owens in the United States.