Ten people have been found guilty of cyber-bullying Brigitte Macron, the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, by a Paris court.
The defendants were accused of spreading false claims about her gender and sexuality, as well as making malicious remarks about the 24-year age gap between the couple.
Most of the defendants were handed suspended prison sentences of up to eight months, but one was jailed immediately for failing to attend court.
The judge stated that the eight men and two women had acted with a clear intent to harm Brigitte Macron, making degrading and insulting online remarks.
Two of the defendants, self-styled independent journalist Natacha Rey and internet fortune-teller Amandine Roy, were found guilty of slander in 2024 for falsely claiming that France's first lady did not exist. They alleged that her brother Jean-Michel Trogneux had changed gender and adopted her name, a claim that has been legally contested.
Monday's ruling is a precursor to a larger trial in the U.S., where the Macrons are pursuing a defamation lawsuit against right-wing influencer Candace Owens, who has propagated conspiracy theories regarding the first lady's gender. The couple alleges that Owens ignored credible evidence to support her claims, thus platforming known defamers.
Owens has repeatedly stated on her podcast and social media that she believes Mrs. Macron is a man, a conspiracy theory that has been circulating since her husband took office in 2017.
Brigitte Macron first met Emmanuel Macron when she was a teacher at his secondary school, and the couple was married in 2007 when he was 29 and she was in her mid-50s.
