Ten people have gone on trial in a Paris court accused of orchestrating an online harassment campaign against French First Lady Brigitte Macron, spreading false claims that she is a transgender woman and mocking her age difference with President Emmanuel Macron.
The defendants, eight men and two women aged between 41 and 60, face charges of cyber-harassment and defamation, in a case that highlights France’s growing struggle against digital misinformation and sexist abuse online.
According to prosecutors, the group circulated and amplified a conspiracy theory alleging that Brigitte Macron was “born a man” named Jean-Michel Trogneux, the name of her real-life brother, and that her marriage to Emmanuel Macron amounted to “paedophilia.”
The chief judge said the online campaign had caused a “deterioration” in the first lady’s “physical and mental health.”
Among the defendants is Delphine Jegousse, 51, known online as Amandine Roy, a self-described medium and author who released a four-hour YouTube video in 2021 that helped the rumour go viral. Another is Aurelien Poirson-Atlan, 41, who operated under the alias Zoe Sagan and was active in French conspiracy theory networks before his account was suspended.
Others charged include a local elected official, a teacher, and a computer scientist.
Seven of the defendants appeared in court on Monday, while three were represented by lawyers. The Macrons were not present at the hearing, which is expected to last two days, though a verdict will come later.
The false claims about Brigitte Macron’s gender have circulated for years in far-right and conspiratorial circles, both in France and abroad, particularly in the United States, where transgender identity has become a lightning rod in culture war politics.
At the end of July, the French First Lady and her brother filed a defamation lawsuit in the US, targeting conservative influencer Candace Owens, whose YouTube channel has 4.5 million subscribers. Their lawyer said the couple would seek “substantial damages” if Owens continues to repeat the claims.
The case underscores a broader concern in France about the weaponisation of online disinformation and the targeting of public figures, particularly women, with gendered and sexualised attacks.
A previous French court ruling had ordered fines and damages against two women who spread the same claims, but the decision was overturned on appeal in July. The Macrons have since taken the case to France’s highest court.
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