10 People Convicted for Calling France’s First Lady a Transgender

A Paris court has convicted 10 people for online harassment of France’s first lady, Brigitte Macron, over false claims that she is a transgender woman.

Prosecutors said the eight men and two women used social media to spread the conspiracy theory that Macron was born male and originally named Jean‑Michel Trogneux, the name of her older brother. Some posts also linked the couple’s 24‑year age gap to “pedophilia.”

Sentences ranged from a six‑month custodial term to suspended prison terms of up to eight months, along with fines, compulsory anti-cyber-harassment courses, and, for five defendants, bans from the platforms where they posted the abuse.

The ruling comes as the Macrons pursue a separate defamation case in the United States against commentator Candace Owens, who has repeated the same false gender claim about Brigitte Macron.

In a TV interview, the first lady said she is taking legal action to push back against harassment and to set an example for others facing online abuse.