A Paris court has convicted ten people of online harassment targeting Brigitte Macron, the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, in a case that French authorities say highlights the growing problem of coordinated cyber-abuse against public figures.
The group, made up of eight men and two women, was found guilty of spreading false and harmful claims about the first lady’s gender and sexuality, as well as posting degrading comments about the 24-year age difference between her and the president. The court ruled that the remarks went beyond free expression and were intended to deliberately harm her reputation and personal life.
Most of those convicted received suspended prison sentences of up to eight months. One defendant was taken into custody immediately after failing to appear in court. Several were also ordered to suspend or restrict their social media activity as part of the punishment.
In delivering the verdict, the judge said the defendants had acted with a clear intention to insult and demean Brigitte Macron, adding that the repeated online messages were malicious in nature and designed to fuel conspiracy theories.
The case follows years of online rumours that have circulated about the French first lady, particularly claims questioning her gender identity. Some of the defendants were accused of amplifying these narratives across social media platforms, where they gained traction among conspiracy-focused online communities.
Two of the individuals convicted in this case, Natacha Rey, who describes herself as an independent journalist, and Amandine Roy, an online fortune-teller, were previously involved in a separate legal case in 2024. They had claimed that Brigitte Macron never existed and alleged that her brother, Jean-Michel Trogneux, had changed gender and adopted her identity.
Although they were initially found guilty of slander in that earlier case, an appeals court later overturned the conviction, ruling that stating someone had changed gender did not automatically constitute an attack on personal honour. The Macron family has since appealed that decision to France’s highest court.
Brigitte Macron’s lawyer, Jean Ennochi, said the latest ruling sends an important message about accountability online. He stressed that measures such as mandatory awareness programmes and restrictions on social media accounts were crucial in preventing similar abuse in the future.
During the trial, Brigitte Macron’s daughter from a previous marriage, Tiphaine Auzière, testified about the impact of the cyber-bullying on her mother’s daily life. She told the court that the persistent online attacks affected Brigitte Macron’s health and forced her to be constantly aware of her appearance and behaviour in public.
Auzière said that while her mother had learned to cope with the harassment, the consequences were also felt by her grandchildren, who were reportedly teased at school because of the rumours circulating online.
The ruling in Paris comes as the Macron couple prepares for a much larger legal battle in the United States. They have filed a defamation lawsuit against US-based right-wing influencer Candace Owens, accusing her of spreading similar conspiracy theories about the first lady.
In court documents, the Macrons argue that Owens ignored credible evidence contradicting her claims and instead relied on known conspiracy theorists. Owens has repeatedly discussed the issue on her podcast and social media accounts and has publicly said she would stake her professional reputation on her belief in the claims.
For years, advisers reportedly encouraged the Macrons to ignore online gossip to avoid amplifying it. However, the scale and persistence of the attacks eventually led them to take legal action, even at the risk of exposing personal details in court proceedings abroad.
Conspiracy theories about Brigitte Macron have circulated online since Emmanuel Macron first won the presidency in 2017. The couple, who met when she was his teacher during his school years, married in 2007.
French officials say the case underscores the challenges public figures face in combating online disinformation and harassment, and the need for stronger enforcement against digital abuse.