A court in Paris ruled that 10 people cyber-bullied Brigitte Macron, wife of president Emmanuel Macron, and handed down suspended sentences to all but one who failed to appear in court. That individual will be jailed for several months, according to reports. The case centers on conspiracy theories claiming that Brigitte is transgender and that her relationship with her husband, 24 years her junior, was initially illegal or inappropriate. She was his drama teacher when he was 15 years old, but they did not begin a relationship until his 20s.
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 found guilty of slander last year for claiming that France's first lady had never existed, and that her brother Jean-Michel Trogneux had changed gender and started using her name.
The defamatory remarks spread on social media, and the outcome for those prosecuted is a reminder that local laws may be stricter than those in the U.S., where companies such as Facebook and Twitter/X are located. The most prominent figures making unsubstantiated claims about the Macrons are in the U.S. and include Candace Owens, the Hitler-praising far-right influencer who exemplifies audience capture. All the Macrons can do about her in the U.S. is pursue their civil lawsuit.
Previously: Watch someone slap French president Emmanuel Macron in the face
