10 People Stand Trial for Cyberbullying French First Lady Brigitte Macron Over Gender Conspiracy Claims

The Macrons have been persistently targeted by conspiracy theories for years.

A trial begins Monday involving ten individuals accused of cyberbullying Brigitte Macron through online comments alleging that the French President's wife is biologically male.

According to the Paris prosecutor's office, the defendants—eight men and two women—are charged with disseminating "numerous malicious comments" online regarding the First Lady's gender identity and "sexuality," while also characterizing the age difference with her husband as "paedophilia."

The defendants, aged between 41 and 60, include several individuals with significant social media presence whose posts sometimes generate tens of thousands of views. Among those considered central to spreading the rumors are a self-described medium and an advertising professional whose account on X has subsequently been suspended.

Other defendants include an elected official, an educator, and a computer scientist.

For years, the Macrons have been subjected to conspiracy theories claiming that Brigitte was born as a man named Jean-Michel Trogneux, who allegedly adopted the name Brigitte after transitioning. In reality, Jean-Michel Trogneux is Brigitte's brother's name.

The two-day Paris trial follows the Macrons' filing of a defamation lawsuit in Delaware this July. Their attorney stated they would pursue "substantial" damages from American conservative commentator Candace Owens if she continues asserting that Brigitte is male.

Owens is a right-wing political commentator with approximately 4.5 million YouTube subscribers. In 2024, she was denied entry visas by New Zealand and Australia, citing her statements denying Nazi medical experimentation on Jewish prisoners in World War II concentration camps.

The verdict in the Paris case will likely be announced at a later date.

In September 2024, Brigitte and Jean-Michel Trogneux won a defamation case against two women who were ordered by a Paris court to pay fines and damages for spreading claims about the First Lady online. However, a Paris appeals court reversed this ruling in July, prompting Brigitte and her brother to appeal to France's highest court.

The Macrons have been married since 2007, having first met at a high school where he was a student and she was a teacher. Brigitte Macron, who is 24 years older than her husband, was then known as Brigitte Auziere, a married mother of three.

Emmanuel Macron, 47, has served as France's president since 2017.