A Paris court on Monday found ten people guilty of cyberbullying France’s First Lady, Brigitte Macron, in a landmark ruling that sent a strong message against online harassment. The defendants, aged between 41 and 65, were convicted for spreading false claims about her gender and sexuality, including allegations that she was born a man, with sentences ranging from awareness training to eight-month suspended prison terms.
The court described the online attacks as “particularly degrading, insulting, and malicious,” noting that some posts falsely linked the 24-year age gap between Brigitte and President Emmanuel Macron to pedophilia. Several posts went viral, garnering tens of thousands of views and significantly impacting the First Lady and her family.
Brigitte Macron did not attend the two-day trial held in October, explaining that she filed the case to “set an example” in the fight against harassment. Her daughter, Tiphaine Auzière, testified about the emotional toll on the family, stating that the cyberbullying affected not only Brigitte Macron but also her grandchildren and daily life.
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Among the convicted, Delphine Jegousse, 51, who goes by Amandine Roy online, was sentenced to six months in prison for a four-hour YouTube video spreading false rumors. Aurélien Poirson-Atlan, 41, a social media influencer known as Zoé Sagan, received an eight-month suspended sentence after his X account was previously suspended during multiple investigations.
Other defendants included a teacher, a computer scientist, and an elected official, some of whom claimed their posts were intended as satire. The court rejected these defenses, emphasizing that online content causing harm and spreading false claims cannot be excused as humor.
The case stems from long-standing conspiracy theories falsely alleging Brigitte Macron was born under her brother’s name, Jean-Michel Trogneux. The ruling reinforces France’s commitment to combating cyber harassment and comes amid other defamation actions by the Macrons, including a U.S. lawsuit against conservative influencer Candace Owens.
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