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Online Harassment of Brigitte Macron: 10 Sentenced to Suspended Jail Terms

Published January 5, 2026, 11:16
Online Harassment of Brigitte Macron: 10 Sentenced to Suspended Jail Terms

Ten people have been sentenced to prison terms of up to eight months suspended for online harassment of French First Lady Brigitte Macron. The charges relate to attacks and threats via social media, as part of a broader effort by French authorities to combat digital violence. The convicted individuals had spread false claims about Brigitte Macron's gender and sexuality, as well as “malicious comments” about her age difference with her husband, Emmanuel Macron. The conspiracy theory portraying her as transgender has been circulating since 2017. The Macron couple met when Brigitte was Emmanuel's teacher at school. They married in 2007, with Emmanuel being 29 years old and Brigitte just over 50.