Tiphaine Auziere, Brigitte Macron's daugther, arrives to take the stand in the trial of ten people accused of sexist cyber-harassment of wife of the French President, in Paris on October 28, 2025. STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP
French prosecutors on Tuesday, October 28, sought suspended prison terms of three to 12 months for defendants accused of cyberbullying First Lady Brigitte Macron by spreading unsubstantiated claims about her gender. Prosecutors also requested fines of up to €8,000 against the 10 defendants – eight men and two women, aged 41 to 65 – who have been accused of cyber-harassment targeting the French first lady. The heaviest sentences were sought for three defendants described by prosecutors as "instigators," while the seven others were labeled "followers."
The trial comes after President Emmanuel Macron and his wife filed a defamation lawsuit in the United States at the end of July, in connection with a false claim amplified and repeated online that Brigitte Macron was assigned male at birth. The allegation has long targeted the presidential couple, alongside criticism of their quarter-century age gap.
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Brigitte Macron's never-ending fake news nightmare
