A Paris court on Monday convicted 10 individuals of online harassment and defamation against Brigitte Macron, wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, for posting false claims about her gender and spreading derogatory comments about the couple’s age difference.
Eight defendants received suspended prison sentences ranging from four to eight months. A ninth person, who did not attend the hearing, was sentenced to six months in jail. All 10 were also ordered to complete an online hate speech awareness course.
Presiding Judge Thierry Donard called the accusations, including false claims of pedophilia, “malicious, degrading and insulting.” He said the sentences reflected the intentional harm inflicted on the complainant.
False claims about Brigitte Macron’s gender have circulated online since Emmanuel Macron’s 2017 election, often amplified by far-right and conspiracy theory groups in France and the United States.
The Macrons have responded by pursuing legal action in multiple jurisdictions. They have also filed a defamation lawsuit in the United States against U.S. commentator Candace Owens, who falsely claimed Brigitte Macron was assigned male at birth.
Public interest in the Macrons’ relationship has persisted since the president, now 48, entered French politics. Brigitte Macron, 72, was his former high school drama teacher.
