French Court Convicts Ten Over Online Harassment of Brigitte Macron. A French court found ten people guilty of cyber bullying Brigitte Macron over false online claims alleging that the French first lady is transgender. The defendants — eight men and two women aged between 41 and 60 — were convicted of posting degrading, insulting and malicious content targeting her gender and sexuality. The case centred on conspiracy theories falsely claiming Brigitte Macron was born male under the name Jean-Michel Trogneux, which is in fact the name of her brother. Prosecutors said some posts also linked the age difference between Brigitte Macron and her husband, Emmanuel Macron, to paedophilia, accusations the court described as particularly harmful. Several of the online posts were viewed tens of thousands of times, amplifying their impact and contributing to what judges described as sustained cyber harassment. Sentences ranged from mandatory cyber-bullying awareness training to suspended prison terms of up to eight months. Brigitte Macron said she brought the case to “set an example” against online harassment, while her daughter testified that the abuse had deeply affected the entire family. The ruling comes as the Macrons also pursue a defamation lawsuit in the United States against influencer Candace Owens, who has repeated similar false claims.