Ten individuals went on trial in Paris on Monday over allegations of sexist and defamatory cyber-harassment against Brigitte Macron, the French First Lady. The case stems from a long-running and unfounded conspiracy theory claiming that she was assigned male at birth a rumour that has circulated online for years.
The proceedings follow a defamation lawsuit filed by Brigitte and President Emmanuel Macron in the United States in July 2025, after the baseless claims gained renewed traction on social media platforms.
The defendants eight men and two women aged between 41 and 60 face charges of coordinated online harassment and defamation. If found guilty, they could face up to two years in prison. Prosecutors say the group spread malicious and derogatory remarks about Brigitte Macron’s gender and sexuality, and in some cases equated the couple’s 24-year age difference to “paedophilia.”
The First Lady lodged an official complaint in August 2024, prompting a months-long investigation that led to multiple arrests between December 2024 and February 2025. It remains unclear whether she will attend the trial.
Among those charged is Aurélien Poirson-Atlan, 41, a publicist and social media personality known as “Zoe Sagan,” who has ties to conspiracy theory circles. Another key defendant is Delphine J., 51, a self-proclaimed spiritual medium who operates under the alias Amandine Roy.
Roy had previously hosted a four-hour YouTube interview in 2021 with self-described journalist Natacha Rey, during which they falsely alleged that Brigitte Macron born Brigitte Trogneux was originally a man named Jean-Michel Trogneux, her brother’s name.
Both women were ordered to pay damages to Brigitte Macron and her brother in 2024, though that ruling was later overturned on appeal. The case is now before France’s highest court.
The rumour first surfaced during Emmanuel Macron’s 2017 presidential campaign and has since been amplified by far-right and conspiracy networks in France and abroad. In the United States, where debates over transgender rights remain polarizing, the claims were further spread by conservative commentator Candace Owens, prompting the Macrons’ recent U.S. lawsuit. Owens’ video series, titled “Becoming Brigitte,” repeated the false allegations.
According to the couple’s American lawyer, they plan to submit documentary and scientific evidence disproving the rumours.
Several of the defendants on trial in Paris are accused of sharing or reposting Owens’ content. One reportedly claimed that “2,000 people” were ready to go “door-to-door in Amiens,” the Macrons’ hometown, to “uncover the truth.”
The case highlights a broader trend of gender-based disinformation targeting prominent women. Figures such as Michelle Obama, Kamala Harris, and Jacinda Ardern have faced similar online attacks aimed at questioning their gender or sexuality a tactic experts say is designed to discredit women in public life.
