A Paris criminal court has convicted 10 people of cyber-harassment after a prolonged online campaign targeting France’s first lady, Brigitte Macron, over false claims about her gender.
The defendants, eight men and two women aged between 41 and 65, were found guilty of spreading abusive and defamatory content on social media alleging that Macron was born male and using her brother’s identity. The conspiracy theory, which has circulated for several years in fringe online spaces, falsely claimed she was originally named Jean-Michel Trogneux. Other posts also made degrading comments about her appearance and her marriage to President Emmanuel Macron.
The court ruled the campaign amounted to sustained cyberbullying, describing the material as malicious and humiliating. Some of the content was widely shared and viewed tens of thousands of times, contributing to what prosecutors said was a coordinated effort to damage Macron’s reputation.
Sentences handed down included suspended prison terms of up to eight months, with one defendant receiving a six-month sentence. Several of those convicted were also fined and ordered to complete cyberbullying awareness training. In some cases, restrictions on social media use were imposed as part of the penalty.
“The most important things are the prevention courses and the suspension of some of the accounts” of the perpetrators, said Jean Ennochi, Macron’s lawyer, following the verdict.
Brigitte Macron did not attend the trial, but her daughter, lawyer Tiphaine Auzière, gave evidence about the impact the abuse had on her mother and their family. Macron has previously said she pursued legal action to draw a clear line against online harassment and disinformation, particularly when it targets women in public life.
The case comes amid broader concern in France and across Europe about the rise of online abuse directed at prominent women, often fuelled by misogyny and conspiracy theories. Legal experts have described the ruling as a significant example of courts treating digital harassment with the same seriousness as offline abuse.
The convictions are separate from a civil defamation case filed by the Macrons in the United States against conservative commentator Candace Owens, who is accused of amplifying similar false claims about the first lady to an international audience.
Advocates say the outcome sends a strong message that spreading false and dehumanising narratives online can carry real legal consequences, particularly when harassment is persistent and targeted.