Brigitte Macron ‘cyberbullies’ who spread rumours she was born a man lash out at being ‘sent to court for tweets’, asking trial ‘Do you need a licence to crack a joke now?’

The defendants accused of cyberbullying Brigitte Macron by spreading the rumour that she was born a man have complained that the trial violates their freedom of speech, asking the court: ‘Do you need a licence to crack a joke now?’

Ten people are facing jail time for allegedly spreading the false claims that the French First lady, 72, is a man named Jean-Michel Trogneux – a rumour that circulated widely on social media before being amplified by conspiracy theorists and far right activists.

The defendants – a woman and six men – all face up to two years in prison if found guilty of the online harassment of Mrs Macron.

Prosecutors say the group engaged in a coordinated effort to humiliate and defame Mrs Macron, sharing hundreds of posts that falsely describe her as a man and compared her relationship with President Macron, 47, to paedophilia. 

Several of the accused sought to downplay their roles in court, insisting their posts were made in humour or sarcasm rather than in malice.

One defendant, who was asked about social media posts in which he reposted or wrote about Brigitte Macron being a man or having a penis, reportedly told judges he had only reposted comments he thought were ‘funny’.

He said: ‘Like a lot of people, I’m asking why I’m here today. Today, you can send people to court for tweets.’ 

French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte at the Fort de Bregancon in Bormes-les-Mimosas on August 28, 2025

Ten people are facing jail time for allegedly spreading false claims that the French First lady, 72, was born a man. Among the defendants is Aurelien Poirson-Atlan, 41, a publicist known on social media as ‘Zoe Sagan’ and often linked with conspiracy theory circles

Meanwhile, another defendant claimed his remarks were just ‘humour’ and questioned whether people now needed ‘a permit to crack a joke in France’.

He also told the court that he had shared posts about Brigitte Macron being a man or a paedophile in order to ‘inform’ others and denied harassment. 

Others went further, claiming the trial itself represented an attack on freedom of speech.

A Paris gallery owner with a large social media following said the case was ‘a trial of freedom of thought’, while another defendant told reporters outside court that he and his co-accused were ‘the true victims of bullying’.

Investigators say the campaign took a heavy personal toll on Mrs Macron, who has spoken publicly about how the conspiracy theories affected her health and reputation.

Yesterday, the presiding judge told one of the defendants that harassment had led to a serious deterioration in her (Mrs Macron’s) physical and mental health.’ 

In testimony to police, she said she was confronted about the claims during official visits abroad and that the rumour was now known to ‘every head of state’s spouse’.

Among the defendants is Aurelien Poirson-Atlan, 41, a publicist known on social media as ‘Zoe Sagan’ and often linked with conspiracy theory circles.

 The defendants – a woman and six men – all face up to two years in prison if found guilty of cyberbullying Mrs Macron

The little girl with a pudding bowl haircut sitting on her mother’s knee is Brigitte Trogneux, and far left is her brother Jean-Michel 

The defendants also include a woman already the subject of a libel complaint filed by Brigitte Macron in 2022: Delphine J., 51, a self-proclaimed spiritual medium who goes by the pseudonym Amandine Roy.

The case has reignited debate in France over the limits of online expression and the responsibility of social media users for harassment campaigns.

Supporters of the defendants claim the government is stifling dissent, while Mrs Macron’s lawyers argue that unverified online smears can cause profound real-world harm.

The Macron marriage has always been subjected to hurtful speculation because of its controversial beginnings.

It was in 1992 , when the future president was a schoolboy at La Providence high school in Amiens, northern France, that he first developed deep affection for his drama teacher, the then 40-year-old Brigitte Auzière, who was married with three young children.

Some claim the relationship became a dangerously irresponsible one – allegations both parties have always denied – but Mrs Macron later admitted that being romantically linked ‘with such a young boy was crippling,’ especially in a close-knit, Roman Catholic community.

She spoke of the rumours her own boy and two girls – one a classmate of young Emmanuel – had to deal with, saying: ‘You can imagine what they were hearing. But I didn’t want to miss out on my life.’

The couple finally wed in 2007, a decade before Mr Macron came from nowhere to win the French presidency as an independent candidate.

Mrs Macron’s latest court trial comes after she was given a male name on her official French tax portal by hackers.

A routine audit of Brigitte’s financial reports in September 2024 discovered the insult, according to senior Paris civil servant, Tristan Bomme.

Mr Bomme said: ‘Like many French people, Madame Macron logged into her personal account on the tax website.

‘She logs into the system and saw that it did not say Brigitte Macron, but Jean-Michel Macron.’

He added that Mrs Macron had made an official complaint about the hacking.

Vicious rumours claiming Brigitte was born a man have continually been spread online by conspiracy theorists and right-wing personalities, including American commentator Candace Owens.

Last March, Owens said she ‘would stake [her] entire professional reputation’ on the claim that Mrs Macron was born a boy.

Mrs Macron and her husband President Emmanuel Macron filed a defamation lawsuit in the US in July against American right-wing influencer Candace Owens after she promoted claims that Mrs Macron was born a man

When the Macrons filed for defamation in July, Ms Owens hit back, saying she would demand a medical exam as part of any trial in the USA.

The proceedings at the 17th criminal chamber of the Paris judicial court are expected to continue throughout the week, with a verdict due later this year. 

The trial over false claims that Mrs Macron was born a male comes months after she and her husband President Emmanuel Macron filed a defamation lawsuit in the US against American right-wing influencer Candace Owens. 

Owens was accused by the couple of propagating ‘outlandish, defamatory, and far-fetched fictions’ that fuelled a lie-filled ‘campaign of global humiliation’ and ‘relentless bullying’ after she promoted claims that Mrs Macron was born a man. 

The political commentator, who has millions of followers on social media, has publicly repeated the claims on her channels. 

The allegation originated online and found an audience through French bloggers Amandine Roy and Natacha Rey in a 2021 YouTube video.

Owens took to social media in March 2024 to announce she was ‘waging her entire professional reputation’ on the theory that the French first lady was born Jean-Michel Trogneux – the actual name of her older brother – before transitioning aged 30.

Those allegations were seized upon after far-right blogger and Faits et Documents contributor Natacha Rey, and clairvoyant Amandine Roy, covered them in a YouTube interview that went viral. 

The Macrons won their initial defamation case against Roy and Rey in 2024, but the ruling was overturned on appeal this year on freedom of expression grounds. The Macrons are also appealing that decision.

Owens said she based her allegations on what she called a ‘thorough investigation’ by French blogger Natacha Rey.

The Macrons in turn filed a 218-page lawsuit in Delaware on July 23, seeking an unspecified amount of compensatory and punitive damages.

Mr and Ms Macron said in a statement at the time: ‘Because Ms Owens systematically reaffirmed these falsehoods in response to each of our attorneys’ repeated requests for a retraction, we ultimately concluded that referring the matter to a court of law was the only remaining avenue for remedy.

‘Ms Owens’ campaign of defamation was plainly designed to harass and cause pain to us and our families and to garner attention and notoriety. We gave her every opportunity to back away from these claims, but she refused.

‘It is our earnest hope that this lawsuit will set the record straight and end this campaign of defamation once and for all.’