Brigitte Macron’s Cyberbullies Get Up to 8 Months in Prison
France's first lady Brigitte Macron arrives ahead of the ceremony outside "La Belle Equipe" bar, Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025 in Paris as part of ceremonies marking the 10th anniversary of terrorist attacks. (Ludovic Marin, Pool photo via AP, File)
A Paris court on Monday convicted 10 people of cyberbullying France’s first lady, Brigitte Macron, for spreading false and defamatory online claims about her gender and sexuality, including allegations that she was born a man.
According to the Associated Press, the defendants received sentences ranging from mandatory cyberbullying awareness training to suspended prison terms of up to eight months. The court described the comments as “particularly degrading, insulting, and malicious,” citing false claims about a supposed transgender identity and fabricated criminal accusations targeting Macron.
During the trial, Brigitte Macron’s daughter, Tiphaine Auzière, testified about what she called the severe deterioration of her mother’s quality of life since the harassment escalated. She said the impact extended to the entire family, including Macron’s grandchildren.
One of the main figures in the case, Delphine Jegousse, 51 — known online as Amandine Roy — was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended. Jegousse, who describes herself as a medium and author, played a significant role in amplifying the rumor after releasing a four-hour video on her YouTube channel in 2021.
Another defendant, Aurélien Poirson-Atlan, 41, who used the name Zoé Sagan on social media, received an eight-month suspended prison sentence. His account on X was suspended in 2024 after his name appeared in multiple judicial investigations.
The remaining defendants include an elected official, a teacher, and a computer scientist. Several told the court they believed their posts were humorous or satirical and said they did not understand why they were being prosecuted.
The case stems from years of conspiracy theories falsely claiming that Brigitte Macron was born under the name Jean-Michel Trogneux — the actual name of her brother. The Macrons, who met when Emmanuel Macron was a student and Brigitte Macron was a teacher at his high school, have also filed a defamation lawsuit in the United States against conservative influencer Candace Owens.
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