PARIS (AP) — The daughter of France’s first lady Brigitte Macron testified Tuesday about the “deterioration” of her mother’s life after alleged cyberbullying spread claims that President Emmanuel Macron’s wife is a man.
“She cannot ignore the horrible things that are said about her,” Tiphaine Auzière said on the second and final day of the trial in Paris.
Ten people are accused of posting alleged malicious comments online about the first lady’s gender and sexuality, and of associating her 24-year age difference with her husband with “pedophilia.” Some posts have been viewed tens of thousands of times.
Some defendants told the court that the comments they posted were humor or satire and that they did not understand why they were being tried. They include an elected official, a professor and a computer scientist. They face up to two years in prison if convicted.
“I would like to express what his life is like since he was the subject of massive cyberbullying. This has led to a deterioration of his living conditions,” Auzière, one of Brigitte Macron’s three children, told the court.
Auzière noted that many images of Macron are being misused on the Internet: “As a result, she is forced to be careful with her clothing, her posture and her daily life.”
Brigitte Macron did not attend the trial. A verdict is likely to be issued later.
Auzière said the family suffers the consequences.
“This impacts their children and grandchildren, who hear things at school like, ‘Your grandmother is a man.’ I don’t know how to stop it,” she said.
For years, the Macrons have been dogged by conspiracy theories that Brigitte was born a man named Jean-Michel Trogneux, who allegedly took Brigitte’s name as a transgender woman. Jean-Michel Trogneux is the name of Brigitte’s brother.
When asked if he saw his uncle, Auzière said: “I saw him a few months ago and he was very well.”
The Macrons also filed a defamation lawsuit in July in a Delaware court, as their lawyer said they are seeking “substantial” damages from American conservative influencer Candace Owens if she persists in claiming that Brigitte is a man.
The Macrons, married since 2007, met at the institute where he was a student and she was a teacher. Brigitte Macron was then called Brigitte Auzière and was married and mother of three children.
Emmanuel Macron, 47, has been president of France since 2017.