PARIS, France – Ten individuals will stand trial in Paris this week for alleged cyber-harassment targeting French First Lady Brigitte Macron, marking the latest legal action stemming from years of unsubstantiated gender-related disinformation campaigns against the president’s wife.
The defendants – eight men and two women ranging in age from 41 to 60 – face charges of cyber-harassment in a Paris criminal court. If convicted, they could receive up to two years in prison for their alleged role in spreading malicious content about Macron’s gender and sexuality.
The trial coincides with a separate defamation lawsuit filed by President Emmanuel Macron and the First Lady in United States courts in July, targeting false claims that Brigitte was assigned male at birth.
The current case stems from a complaint filed by the First Lady in August 2024, which triggered an investigation leading to arrests in December 2024 and February 2025. Prosecutors allege the defendants made numerous defamatory comments, including comparisons of the couple’s 24-year age difference to “paedophilia.”
Among those facing trial is Aurelien Poirson-Atlan (41) a publicist known on social media as “Zoe Sagan” and associated with conspiracy theory networks.
Also charged is Delphine J. (51) who operates under the pseudonym Amandine Roy and describes herself as a spiritual medium. She previously faced libel charges from Brigitte in 2022 related to a 2021 YouTube interview where she falsely claimed the First Lady had once been a man named Jean-Michel Trogneux – the actual name of her brother.
While Delphine J. and her co-defendant were initially ordered to pay damages in 2024, the conviction was later overturned on appeal. The case is now before France’s highest appeals court.
The false claims have gained traction beyond France, particularly in United States conspiracy circles where transgender rights have become a polarising political issue. The Macrons’ U.S. lawsuit targets conservative podcaster Candace Owens, who produced a series titled “Becoming Brigitte” promoting the debunked claims.
According to their American legal counsel, the presidential couple plans to present “scientific” evidence and photographs proving the allegations false.
Court documents reveal that defendants shared content threatening to mobilise “2,000 people” for door-to-door investigations in Amiens, the presidential couple’s hometown.
Brigitte Macron joins a troubling list of prominent political women targeted by gender-based disinformation, including former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama, former Vice President Kamala Harris, and former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
Brigitte’s legal team has not responded to media inquiries, and it remains unclear whether the First Lady will attend the hearings. The trial represents France’s ongoing efforts to combat cyber-harassment and protect public figures from coordinated disinformation campaigns.
The case highlights the intersection of gender-based harassment, conspiracy theories, and the challenges of prosecuting online abuse across international borders.
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