Ten people have been found guilty of cyber-bullying Brigitte Macron, the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, by a Paris court.
The defendants were accused of spreading false claims about her gender and sexuality, as well as making malicious remarks about the 24-year age gap between the couple.
Most of the defendants were handed suspended prison sentences of up to eight months, but one was jailed immediately for failing to attend court. Some had their social media accounts suspended.
The judge said the eight men and two women had acted with a clear desire to do harm to Brigitte Macron, making remarks online that were degrading and insulting.
Two of the defendants - self-styled independent journalist Natacha Rey and internet fortune-teller Amandine Roy – were previously found guilty of slander in 2024 for claiming that France's first lady had never existed.
They said her brother Jean-Michel Trogneux had changed gender and started using her name. They were later cleared on appeal, with the court arguing that claiming someone had changed gender was not necessarily an attack on their honour.
The Macrons are now appealing that decision in the high court.
Brigitte Macron's lawyer remarked on the importance of preventative measures against online abuse following the verdict.
Tiphaine Auzière, Brigitte Macron's daughter, indicated that the cyber-bullying has severely impacted her mother’s health and living conditions.
The ruling in France foreshadows a larger trial in the U.S., where the Macrons are suing right-wing influencer Candace Owens for defamation over similar conspiracy theories regarding Brigitte’s gender.
President and Mrs. Macron initially chose to ignore the online gossip, but the increasing scale of attacks led them to seek legal recourse.
The conspiracy theory suggesting that Brigitte Macron is transgender has circulated since 2017, with the couple's relationship often drawing public scrutiny.
