Ten individuals found guilty of online harassment against Brigitte Macron
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A court in Paris has ruled against ten people for perpetrating the digital intimidation of Brigitte Macron, the spouse of the President of France, Emmanuel Macron.
The those on trial faced allegations of disseminating false claims regarding her gender identity and sexuality, in addition to publishing defamatory statements about the couple's 24-year age gap.
The court handed down suspended jail terms of as much as eight months to the perpetrators. The full ruling has not yet been published.
A persistent conspiracy theory suggesting that Brigitte Macron is a transgender woman has existed since her husband's initial election in 2017.
This latest legal outcome in France coincides with the Macrons initiating a defamation lawsuit in the US against political commentator Candace Owens, who has likewise promoted similar conspiracy theories about the French president's wife's identity.
Their lawsuit contends that Owens disregarded substantial counter-evidence that refuted her assertions in favour of platforming known conspiracy theorists.
Owens has frequently reiterated these assertions on her digital program and online platforms, and in March 2024 stated that she would bet her whole career on her belief that Mrs. Macron was born a man.
Brigitte Macron first met her future husband when she was a teacher at his high school.
The pair tied the knot in 2007, when the man who would become president was 29 and she was approximately 54 years old.
