Ten convicted of online harassment directed at Brigitte Macron

A French judicial body has ruled against ten people for carrying out the digital intimidation of Brigitte Macron, the partner of France's leader, Emmanuel Macron.

The accused individuals faced accusations of spreading fabrications regarding her gender identity and sexuality, in addition to publishing hurtful comments about the husband and wife's age disparity of 24 years.

The court handed down conditional custodial sentences of up to eight months to the defendants. The complete verdict has yet to be released.

A persistent unfounded claim suggesting that Brigitte Macron is a person assigned male at birth has existed since her husband's rise to the presidency in 2017.

This latest legal outcome in France coincides with the Macrons engaging in a legal action for defamation in the US against right-wing influencer Candace Owens, who has repeatedly shared analogous false narratives about the Brigitte Macron's identity.

Their complaint contends that Owens disregarded substantial counter-evidence that refuted her assertions in favour of amplify the voices of notorious conspiracy peddlers.

Owens has frequently reiterated these allegations on her show and social networks, and in March 2024 declared that she would bet her whole career on her insistence that Mrs. Macron was born a man.

Brigitte Macron originally became acquainted with her now-husband when she was a teacher at his secondary school.

The pair entered into matrimony in 2007, when the man who would become president was 29 and she was in her mid-50s.