Ten individuals accused of waging a sexist cyber-harassment campaign against France’s First Lady Brigitte Macron go on trial in Paris on Monday, in a case that underscores how disinformation and online abuse have increasingly blurred the boundaries between political critique and personal attack.
The case revolves around persistent and unsubstantiated claims that Brigitte Macron was “assigned male at birth” — a rumour that has circulated online since Emmanuel Macron’s 2017 election victory. The First Lady and her husband, the French president, have long denounced the claims as false and defamatory.
The trial comes just months after the couple filed a defamation lawsuit in the United States against conservative commentator Candace Owens, whose online series titled “Becoming Brigitte” alleged that the French First Lady was born male.
The Macrons’ U.S. lawyer said they plan to present “scientific evidence and photographs” to debunk the rumour.
In Paris, eight men and two women — aged between 41 and 60 — stand accused of cyber-harassment and defamation. Prosecutors say the defendants posted numerous malicious comments about Brigitte Macron’s gender and sexuality, often using degrading language and linking her 24-year age gap with President Macron to “paedophilia.”
If convicted, they face up to two years in prison.
Among the accused is publicist Aurelien Poirson-Atlan, 41, known online as “Zoe Sagan,” and 51-year-old self-proclaimed spiritual medium Delphine J., who uses the pseudonym “Amandine Roy.”
The latter previously posted a four-hour interview with blogger Natacha Rey in 2021, alleging that Brigitte Macron — née Trogneux — was born “Jean-Michel Trogneux,” the name of her brother.
That video became the cornerstone of the viral conspiracy theory. Rey and Roy were ordered in 2024 to pay damages to Brigitte Macron and her brother, though the ruling was later overturned on appeal. The First Lady has since taken the matter to France’s highest court.
The current trial stems from a complaint filed by Brigitte Macron in August 2024, which led to an investigation and arrests in December 2024 and February 2025. According to prosecutors, several defendants amplified online posts from American influencers repeating the same falsehoods.
One of them allegedly encouraged followers to form a group of “2,000 people” to “go door-to-door in Amiens,” the Macrons’ hometown, to “get to the bottom of the Brigitte affair.”
The disinformation campaign reflects a broader pattern seen globally. Prominent female figures such as former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Kamala Harris, and New Zealand’s former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern have also been targeted by conspiracy theories questioning their gender or sexuality.
As the Paris trial unfolds, it highlights the rising tide of gender-based online hate and misinformation. For France’s presidential couple, the proceedings mark another step in a long battle to defend their reputations — and to reaffirm the boundary between digital rumor and defamation.