Ten defendants face trial this week in Paris for allegedly cyber-bullying French President Emmanuel Macron's wife through false claims about her gender and sexuality. Prosecutors charged the group with spreading baseless rumors and making hostile comments about the 24-year age difference between Brigitte Macron and her husband. Convictions could result in prison sentences of up to 2 years.
The accused include a public official, an art gallery proprietor and an educator, French media reported. Two defendants previously won an acquittal after an appeals court ruled their statements did not meet defamation standards, though the Macrons challenged that decision. Conspiracy theories about Brigitte Macron's gender emerged after her husband took office in 2017 and gained traction through American right-wing commentators.
The couple filed separate legal action against a United States influencer last July, alleging that she ignored evidence that disproved the false claims. Their attorney said the first lady found the accusations deeply distressing. The president met his future wife when she taught at his secondary school, and they married in 2007, when he was 29 and she was 54.
The accused include a public official, an art gallery proprietor and an educator, French media reported. Two defendants previously won an acquittal after an appeals court ruled their statements did not meet defamation standards, though the Macrons challenged that decision. Conspiracy theories about Brigitte Macron's gender emerged after her husband took office in 2017 and gained traction through American right-wing commentators.
The couple filed separate legal action against a United States influencer last July, alleging that she ignored evidence that disproved the false claims. Their attorney said the first lady found the accusations deeply distressing. The president met his future wife when she taught at his secondary school, and they married in 2007, when he was 29 and she was 54.
