PARIS, Jan 5 (Reuters) – A Paris court on Monday found ten people guilty of the cyber-harassment of France’s first lady, Brigitte Macron, for spreading false claims she is a transgender woman who was born a man, French media reported.
Brigitte and her husband, French President Emmanuel Macron, have faced repeated false claims in recent years with some saying she was born under the name Jean-Michel Trogneux, the actual name of her older brother.
The 24-year age gap between the presidential couple has also been the subject of criticism and barbs that they long ignored but have increasingly started to actively pursue in court.
Monday’s ruling provides a boost for the Macrons as they also pursue a high-profile U.S. defamation lawsuit against right-wing influencer and podcaster Candace Owens, who has also claimed Brigitte was born male.
The eight men and two women were found guilty of making malicious comments about Brigitte Macron’s gender and sexuality, even equating her age difference with her husband to “paedophilia”. They were handed sentences of up to eight months with suspended jail time, French media reported.
(Reporting by Dominique Vidalon, Editing by Benoit Van Overstraeten)
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