Ten people accused of sexist cyber-bullying of the French president's wife, Brigitte Macron, are due to go on trial this week in Paris.
The defendants are accused of spreading unsubstantiated claims over her gender and sexuality, as well as making 'malicious remarks' about the 24-year age gap between Brigitte and her husband, Emmanuel Macron.
If found guilty, the defendants face up to two years' imprisonment.
Among the ten people due to appear in the dock on Monday and Tuesday are an elected official, a gallery owner and a teacher, according to French media.
Two of them - self-styled independent journalist Natacha Rey and internet fortune-teller Amandine Roy – were previously found guilty of slander for claiming that France's first lady had never existed and that her brother had changed gender. However, they were later acquitted on appeal, leading Mrs. Macron and her brother to appeal the decision.
A conspiracy theory suggesting Brigitte Macron is a transgender woman has circulated since Emmanuel Macron's first presidential term in 2017. Recently, these unsubstantiated claims have gained traction in the US, particularly through right-wing influencer Candace Owens.
In July, the Macron couple filed a lawsuit against Owens, accusing her of promoting false information harmful to them. Their lawyer commented on how alarming and distressing these claims are for Mrs. Macron, complicating her life and causing distractions for President Macron.
Emmanuel Macron has emphasized that the legal pursuit against Owens is about defending his honor against falsehoods that serve an ideological agenda.
The Macrons' relationship began when Brigitte was a teacher at Emmanuel's secondary school, culminating in their marriage in 2007, when he was 29 and she was 54.
