A Paris court this week heard emotional testimony from Tiphaine Auzière, daughter of French First Lady Brigitte Macron, who said that persistent online rumors about her mother's gender have spilled beyond social media and into the classrooms attended by the family's grandchildren.
Ten defendants are currently on trial in Paris, accused of cyber-harassing Mrs. Macron by spreading false claims that she was born male and alleging links between her 24-year age gap with President Emmanuel Macron and "paedophilia." The case marks one of France's most high-profile legal tests of its digital defamation and online hate-speech laws.
Auzière told the court that the sustained abuse has taken a personal toll on her family. "They hear things at school such as, 'Your grandmother is a man,'" she testified, describing how her children and nieces have faced mockery and bullying. The attacks, she said, have forced Mrs. Macron to monitor her appearance closely in public because her "image is constantly under attack."
The false claims at the heart of the case originate from a conspiracy theory asserting that Brigitte Macron was born Jean-Michel Trogneux, the name of her brother, and later transitioned. The rumor, which first gained traction among far-right circles online, has been amplified through viral videos and social media posts, despite repeated denials and the absence of any credible evidence.
In July 2025, the Macron family filed a defamation lawsuit in the United States against political commentator Candace Owens, who promoted videos alleging that Mrs. Macron was born male. French prosecutors say the defendants before the court participated in a coordinated effort to spread defamatory content about the First Lady's gender and sexuality while invoking her age difference with the president in "sexually suggestive terms."
If convicted, the accused face up to two years in prison under French law. Legal experts say the case could set an important precedent for how European courts address identity-based misinformation and coordinated online harassment campaigns targeting public figures.
While Mrs. Macron, 72, did not attend the proceedings, the family's decision to testify underscores how the harassment has blurred the line between digital slander and real-world harm. Auzière's remarks drew attention to the impact of such conspiracies on children, illustrating how "playground taunts" like "Your grandmother is lying" or "Your grandmother is your grandfather" demonstrate the reach of misinformation beyond the internet.
