PARIS: A Paris court on Monday sentenced 10 individuals for cyberbullying France’s First Lady, Brigitte Macron, over false claims about her gender and insinuations concerning the age difference between her and President Emmanuel Macron.
Read More: Paris court punishes cyberbullies targeting Macron
The Macron couple, whose 24-year age gap has drawn public attention since Emmanuel Macron’s rise to the presidency in 2017, has been targeted by online abuse over the years.
#BREAKING – A Paris court just found 10 people GUILTY of cyberbullying France’s first lady Brigitte Macron, teasing that she is a Man
Drop a 🍆 for our brothers and sisters in Paris who can’t pic.twitter.com/aMoqKi6Fo5
— MJTruthUltra (@MJTruthUltra) January 5, 2026
Eight defendants received suspended prison sentences ranging from four to eight months, while a ninth was sentenced to six months in absentia. All ten were ordered to complete a hate speech prevention course at their own expense. Three key instigators also had their social media accounts suspended for six months.
Presiding Judge Thierry Donard described the accusations—including claims of “alleged paedophilia”—as “malicious, degrading and insulting,” emphasizing that the sentences were meant to address the defendants’ intent to harm the complainant.
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Brigitte Macron, who did not attend the trial hearings in October, told investigators that claims she is transgender had “strongly affected” her and her loved ones.
Her lawyer, Jean Ennochi, said that “the most important things are the prevention courses and the suspension of some of the accounts” to curb further harassment.
The verdict comes amid ongoing scrutiny of the Macrons’ relationship and widespread online dissemination of false information, which the couple has increasingly sought to challenge through legal action.