Paris court convicts 10 for cyberbullying France’s first lady Brigitte Macron

A Paris court on Monday found 10 individuals guilty of cyberbullying France’s First Lady Brigitte Macron , issuing punishments ranging from mandatory cyberbullying awareness training to suspended prison terms of up to eight months .

The court said the defendants, eight men and two women aged 41 to 65 , had posted “particularly degrading, insulting and malicious” online comments. These included false claims that Brigitte Macron was born a man and baseless allegations linking her marriage to President Emmanuel Macron to paedophilia . Some posts reportedly reached tens of thousands of views.

The harassment campaign, which began years ago, intensified with videos and social media posts targeting Brigitte Macron personally. Delphine Jegousse (aka Amandine Roy) , a medium and author, was singled out for spreading a four-hour YouTube video in 2021 promoting the false claims. Another accused, Aurélien Poirson-Atlan (Zoé Sagan) , had his X account suspended in 2024 after being cited in multiple judicial investigations. Other defendants included a teacher, a computer scientist, and an elected official.

Brigitte Macron did not attend the October trial but said on TF1 national television that she initiated the legal action to “set an example” in combating online harassment. Her daughter, Tiphaine Auzière , testified about the emotional toll on her mother and the wider family, including the President’s grandchildren.

The case underscores the dangers of conspiracy theories and misinformation on social media , which can amplify false narratives, cause real personal harm, and create challenges in accountability. French law allows up to two years in prison for such cyberbullying offences, though the court opted for a mix of suspended sentences and corrective measures.

The harassment stemmed from long-standing false rumours, including the misidentification of Brigitte Macron as “Jean-Michel Trogneux,” the name of her brother. Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron, who married in 2007, first met at a high school where he was a student and she was a teacher. Their relationship has long attracted controversy, with critics alleging grooming due to the age difference and the teacher-student context, while Macron’s parents had reportedly objected to the relationship at the time, though it was not legally prevented and later continued when Emmanuel Macron was an adult.

This ruling is seen as a step toward holding individuals accountable for online abuse and curbing the spread of harmful misinformation.