Brigitte Macron online harassment, ten accused
Ten people appeared in court in Paris today for online harassment of the French first lady, Brigitte Macron, prosecutors announced.
Eight men and two women are accused of making malicious comments about the first lady’s gender and the age difference between her and President Emmanuel Macron, with some posts containing unfounded accusations of pedophilia.
The online harassment case is linked to a conspiracy theory that has been circulating on social media since Macron’s election in 2017, which allegedly claims that Brigitte Macron is a transgender woman who was born a man.
The trial in Paris is set to last two days, with the presentation of evidence expected to end tomorrow. The court has not yet announced when the verdict will be handed down.
Brigitte Macron filed a complaint of online harassment in August 2024, leading to the provisional arrest of the suspects, who are between the ages of 41 and 60.
The defendants face up to two years in prison. In July, the Macrons also filed a 22-count defamation lawsuit in the United States against right-wing podcaster Candace Owens for claiming that Brigitte Macron could be a man.