• A Paris court found ten people guilty of cyber-harassing Brigitte Macron.
• The defendants spread false claims about her gender and sexuality since 2021.
• Sentences included suspended prison terms and mandatory awareness training.
• The Macrons are also pursuing a defamation lawsuit against Candace Owens in the US.
• The case highlights ongoing conspiracy theories surrounding Brigitte Macron.

A Paris court found ten people guilty of cyber-harassing France's first lady, Brigitte Macron, for spreading false claims regarding her gender and sexuality. The accusations included allegations that she was born a man, alongside degrading comments linking her 24-year age gap with President Emmanuel Macron to paedophilia. The court handed down sentences ranging from cyberbullying awareness training to eight-month suspended prison sentences, emphasizing the degrading nature of the defendants' comments, viewed tens of thousands of times, according to Le Monde, Reuters, and CBS News.

The defendants, which included eight men and two women aged between 41 and 65, were accused of disseminating malicious misinformation about Brigitte Macron's identity, with the rumor tracing back to a video published on YouTube in 2021. The court noted that the coordinated and repetitive nature of the posts necessitated legal action. The convicted parties face various sentences, including one six-month sentence that may involve home confinement, according to BBC and Los Angeles Times.

Brigitte Macron did not attend the trial but expressed her intention to set a precedent against cyberbullying during a recent interview, stating that the online attacks have significantly impacted her life. Her daughter, Tiphaine Auzière, testified about the negative psychological effects the harassment has caused to their family, highlighting concerns for not only her mother's health but also that of her grandchildren, according to South China Morning Post and India Times.

The convictions provide a boost for the Macrons, who have also initiated a high-profile defamation lawsuit in the United States against Candace Owens, who has propagated similar claims about Brigitte Macron's gender identity. The case exemplifies the persistent conspiracy narratives that have circulated since Emmanuel Macron's presidency began in 2017, as the couple seeks legal avenues to counter such damaging claims, as reported by Al Jazeera and Los Angeles Times.