Ten people are facing trial for allegedly spreading false and offensive claims that the 72-year-old wife of President Emmanuel Macron was born male. The case, now famously referred to as the “Brigitte Macron is a man” hoax, has turned into one of the most talked-about examples of online harassment against a public figure in France.
The Trial and the Accusations
The group of ten, eight men and two women aged between 41 and 60 are being tried in a Paris criminal court for cyber-harassment and defamation. Prosecutors say the accused didn’t just share false stories about Brigitte Macron’s gender; they also posted hateful comments linking her marriage to the president with “paedophilia,” a cruel jab at the couple’s 24-year age gap.
If found guilty, each faces up to two years in prison. One of the defendants’ lawyers, Carlo Brusa, tried to play down his client’s role, saying the man was “just one among hundreds of thousands” who reposted the rumor without realizing how harmful it was. But this defense hardly changes the fact that the first lady became a target of an organised online smear campaign that mocked her age, her gender, and her marriage.
How a Lie Became a Movement
The “Brigitte Macron is a man” hoax didn’t start yesterday. The rumor, claiming that she was born as “Jean-Michel Trogneux,” her brother’s actual name, first appeared on obscure social media pages before gaining traction among far-right groups and conspiracy theorists. The lie spread quickly, amplified by those who saw it as an easy way to ridicule the Macrons.
It wasn’t long before the false story reached international platforms. Even in the United States, prominent right-wing influencer Candace Owens repeated the claim, prompting Brigitte Macron and her husband to file a defamation lawsuit against her in July. That move signaled that the French first lady had grown tired of the mockery and was ready to fight back using the law.
The Internet’s Cruel Power
In a world where anyone can post anything online, lies move faster than truth. What makes the “Brigitte Macron is a man” hoax especially ugly is that it wasn’t just a political attack, it was personal, deeply sexist, and rooted in ageism. Many of the online comments weren’t about politics at all, but about mocking a woman for aging and for marrying a younger man.
This is what modern harassment looks like: a mix of misogyny, conspiracy, and entertainment disguised as “free speech.” The trial now challenges the idea that people can say whatever they want about others on the internet without facing consequences. Whether the court convicts or not, the case sends a warning that freedom of expression does not mean freedom from responsibility.
A Pattern of Abuse
Brigitte Macron has dealt with this nonsense for years. In 2024, she filed a formal complaint that led to investigations and several arrests earlier this year. She also won a court case last September against two women who helped spread the rumor, one of them a self-proclaimed “medium” though that verdict was later overturned on appeal. She has since taken the matter to France’s highest court, proving that she won’t simply shrug off these attacks.
Meanwhile, the presidential palace has remained silent on the ongoing trial, perhaps to avoid adding more political weight to an already sensitive case. Still, this silence cannot hide how much the issue has hurt the first lady’s public image and, by extension, France’s presidency itself.
A Society Obsessed with Scandal
France loves a scandal, but this one shows a darker side of that obsession. The “Brigitte Macron is a man” hoax reveals how quickly the internet can turn gossip into what feels like truth. Millions of shares, comments, and retweets later, the line between satire and slander completely disappeared.
And while some treat it like a joke, it exposes how women in power or even those married to powerful men are still attacked for their looks, their age, or their private lives rather than their contributions. The insults thrown at Brigitte Macron have little to do with her actions and everything to do with how uncomfortable society still is with women who refuse to fit into boxes.
The Real Story Behind the Lies
The most shocking part is not that people believed the lie, but how eagerly they spread it. Many of the accused claim they were “just sharing” what they saw online, but that excuse is what keeps misinformation alive. Every share, every retweet, every comment helped to build a wall of hate around one woman. And once the internet takes a story like that, it rarely gives it back.
The case in Paris is not only about protecting Brigitte Macron, it’s about setting a legal example. The court’s decision will show whether France is ready to treat online harassment as seriously as physical threats.
This trial reminds everyone that lies can destroy lives, even the lives of people in power. Brigitte Macron may be the First Lady of France, but she’s also a woman, a teacher, and a mother who has had to endure constant mockery. The “Brigitte Macron is a man” hoax may sound like a ridiculous internet joke, but it’s also a cruel reflection of how digital culture often rewards hate over truth.
