PARIS – A Paris court is set to deliver a verdict on Monday concerning a group of 10 individuals accused of launching a cyberbullying campaign against Brigitte Macron, the First Lady of France. The case revolves around the dissemination of false claims regarding her gender and sexuality. According to her daughter, these damaging rumors have adversely affected Macron’s health and family life.

The accused, comprising eight men and two women between the ages of 41 and 60, allegedly posted numerous defamatory comments online. These posts falsely asserted that Brigitte Macron was born male and linked her 24-year age difference with President Emmanuel Macron to inappropriate and unfounded accusations of pedophilia. Some of these malicious posts attracted tens of thousands of views.

Brigitte Macron herself was not present for the two-day trial held in October.

During the proceedings, her daughter, Tiphaine Auzière, provided testimony, describing the negative impact on her mother’s well-being. Auzière told the court that the barrage of online harassment has led to a “deterioration” in her mother’s life. She emphasized that the damaging rumors have not only affected Brigitte Macron but have also extended their toll to the entire family, including her grandchildren.

Among the defendants, Delphine Jegousse, a 51-year-old who goes by Amandine Roy and claims to be a medium and author, is alleged to have significantly contributed to the spread of these rumors. She reportedly released a four-hour video on her YouTube channel in 2021, which played a central role in the proliferation of these false claims.

Meanwhile, the social media account of Aurélien Poirson-Atlan, 41, who operates online under the pseudonym Zoé Sagan, faced suspension in 2024. His name has been linked to multiple judicial investigations related to these allegations.

Other defendants include an elected official, a teacher and a computer scientist. Several told the court their comments were intended as humor or satire and said they did not understand why they were being prosecuted. They face up to two years in prison if convicted.

The case follows years of conspiracy theories falsely alleging that Brigitte Macron was born under the name Jean-Michel Trogneux, which is actually the name of her brother. The Macrons have also filed a defamation suit in the United States against conservative influencer Candace Owens.

The Macrons, who have been married since 2007, first met at the high school where he was a student and she was a teacher. Brigitte Macron, 24 years her husband’s senior, was then called Brigitte Auzière, a married mother of three.

Emmanuel Macron, 48, has been France’s president since 2017.