The verdicts against eight men and two women are expected in Paris today in the cyberbullying trial of France’s First Lady Brigitte Macron.
01/05/2026, 07:29Jan 5, 2026, 7:31 am
The defendants are accused of making numerous malicious statements about the gender of the president’s wife and the age difference to Emmanuel Macron. There was even some talk of pedophilia. The defendants face up to two years in prison.
There are many conspiracy theories circulating about Brigitte Macon.Image: keystone
The background is the conspiracy story that has been circulating on social media since Macron was elected to the presidency in 2017, according to which Brigitte Macron (72) is a trans woman and was born a man. The Macrons have taken legal action against this before.
The indictment calls for suspended prison sentences and fines
The defendants, aged between 41 and 60, include a conspiracy theorist known in France and a woman who claims to be a medium and advertising specialist and whose X account has now been blocked. She is seen as being instrumental in spreading the rumor. The public prosecutor’s office demanded prison sentences of three to 12 months on probation and fines of up to 8,000 euros for the defendants.
When filing her lawsuit, Brigitte Macron told investigators that the rumor that she was a trans woman had had a “very strong impact” on those around her and on herself, and reported that her grandchildren had heard that “their grandmother was a man.” Her daughter Tiphaine Auzière told the court that the false claims spread around the world had an impact on her mother’s health, who was “constantly on guard” in the face of constant questioning of her “identity.”
The Macrons are also suing for defamation in the USA
In addition to France, President Macron and his wife Brigitte are also suing the right-wing US influencer Candace Owens for defamation in the USA. The lawsuit in the US state of Delaware is directed, among other things, against Owen’s claim that Brigitte Macron was born a man. The French accuse her of knowingly spreading false claims.
Through these allegations, the Macrons have become victims of a “global humiliation campaign” that is “invasive, dehumanizing and deeply unfair,” the lawsuit says. Owens stood by her statements after the lawsuit became known.
Brigitte Macron is not the only presidential wife to be the target of sexist conspiracy theories. Sexist and racist posts and the claim that she is a man are also repeatedly spread about Michelle Obama, the wife of former US President Barack Obama. (sda/dpa)