The French president and his wife are taking separate legal action against American conservative influencer Candace Owens for amplifying the rumors.
A Paris court on Monday found 10 people guilty of cyberbullying Brigitte Macron, wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, by spreading online rumors about her being born male.
One defendant was sentenced to six months in prison, while eight were given suspended sentences of between four and eight months. All 10 were ordered to attend awareness training on cyberbullying, which is a separate offense from other forms of harassment under French law.
The defendants, eight men and two women aged between 41 and 65, were each accused of having posted numerous comments claiming that Brigitte Macron was born Jean-Michel Trogneux—the name of her brother—and likening the 24-year age gap and the age at which the couple met to pedophilia.
The verdict represents a victory for the Macrons, who are involved in a separate civil action against American conservative influencer Candace Owens, who made a series examining the long-standing claims titled “Becoming Brigitte.”
Accusations of Pedophilia
The court pointed to “particularly degrading, insulting, and malicious” comments about 72-year-old Brigitte Macron’s alleged transgender identity and accusations of pedophile criminality targeted at the first lady, who who met her 48-year-old husband when he was a 15-year-old schoolboy and she was his 39-year-old teacher.
Some of the posts made by the defendants were viewed tens of thousands of times.
“Repeated publications have had cumulative harmful effects,” the court said.
Neither of the Macrons attended the two-day criminal trial in October.
Speaking on TF1 French national television on Sunday, Brigitte Macron said she launched legal proceedings to “set an example” in the fight against online harassment because she wanted to “help teenagers.”
Her lawyer, Jean Ennochi, said on Monday, “What is important is that there are immediate cyberbullying awareness trainings, and for some of the defendants, a ban on using their social media accounts.”
