Ten people have been found guilty of cyber-bullying Brigitte Macron, the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, by a Paris court.

The defendants were accused of spreading false claims about her gender and sexuality, as well as making malicious remarks about the 24-year age gap between the couple.

Most of the defendants were handed suspended prison sentences of up to eight months, but one was jailed immediately for failing to attend court. Some had their social media accounts suspended.

The judge stated that the eight men and two women had acted with a clear intent to harm Brigitte Macron, making degrading and insulting remarks online.

Two of the defendants – self-styled independent journalist Natacha Rey and internet fortune-teller Amandine Roy – had previously claimed in a 2024 case that France's first lady had never existed. They alleged that her brother Jean-Michel Trogneux had changed gender to adopt her name but were cleared on appeal when a court ruled that such comments were not necessarily an attack on their honour. The Macrons are taking that case to the high court of appeal.

After the verdict was handed down, Jean Ennochi, Brigitte Macron's lawyer, emphasized the importance of the prevention courses and account suspensions imposed on the perpetrators.

Brigitte Macron's daughter, Tiphaine Auzière, testified during the trial about the negative effects of the cyberbullying on her mother's health and living conditions, mentioning that her mother had to be cautious about her public appearances to avoid further scrutiny.

The ruling in France precedes a larger trial set in the US, where the Macrons have filed a defamation lawsuit against right-wing influencer Candace Owens, who has also perpetuated conspiracy theories about the first lady's gender.

Owens continues to voice such claims on her podcast and social media, asserting she would stake her professional reputation on her belief that Brigitte is a transgender woman. The Macrons had initially been advised to ignore the online gossip, but the overwhelming scale of attacks led them to take legal action to counteract the conspiracy theorists.

This conspiracy theory has persisted since Emmanuel Macron's election in 2017. Brigitte Macron first met him when she was a teacher at his secondary school, and they married in 2007.