In a Paris court, Brigitte Macron’s daughter testified that the relentless sexist cyberbullying has taken a toll on her mother’s health and overall well-being.
Tiphaine Auzière, 41, the stepdaughter of French President Emmanuel Macron, delivered her statement during the second and final day of the trial involving ten individuals accused of propagating baseless claims regarding Brigitte Macron’s gender and sexuality.
Brigitte Macron, 72, has been a long-standing target of unfounded conspiracy theories alleging that she is a transgender woman.
“It is crucial to be present today to articulate the distress my mother has endured. I aimed to provide an account of her life since she became the subject of these attacks,” Ms. Auzière stated before the court.
She further noted a discernible shift and “deterioration” in her mother’s health since the circulation of claims surrounding her gender and sexuality.
Ms. Auzière explained that Mrs. Macron “has had to exercise caution in her choice of attire, posture… acutely aware that her image would be exploited to validate these theories.”
She emphasized that scarcely a day passes without her mother being notified of these claims, “even by well-intentioned individuals who sympathize with her.”
While her mother has “learned to cope” with the situation, Ms. Auzière highlighted the adverse effects on her grandchildren, who have been subjected to taunts at school.
“She has not sought public office, nor has she requested anything from anyone, yet she finds herself under attack,” Ms. Auzière lamented.
Prosecutors are advocating for suspended prison sentences ranging from three to twelve months for the accused, along with potential fines reaching up to €8,000 ($9,300).
The defendants, aged between 41 and 65, include an elected official, a gallery owner, and a teacher.
Aurélien Poirson-Atlan, one of the accused, is alleged to have informed his 200,000 online followers that Mrs. Macron is a transgender woman and that the 24-year age difference between her and Emmanuel Macron constitutes “state-sanctioned paedophilia.”
Mr. Poirson-Atlan informed the court on Tuesday that he considers himself a “satirist” seeking to present “a viewpoint that diverges from mainstream media narratives.”
Two other defendants, Natacha Rey, a self-proclaimed independent journalist, and Amandine Roy, an internet fortune-teller, were previously found guilty of defamation for asserting that France’s First Lady never existed and that her brother underwent gender reassignment, adopting her name. However, they were later acquitted by an appeals court.
Other defendants claimed they were exercising their “freedom of expression,” with one requesting that the Macrons release photographs of Brigitte Macron pregnant to substantiate her biological sex.
The Macrons have indicated their intention to present such evidence in legal proceedings against US right-wing influencer Candace Owens.
Owens has consistently promoted the notion that Brigitte Macron is a man, even stating in March 2024 that she would stake her “entire professional reputation” on this assertion.
Earlier this year, the Macrons’ legal representative, Tom Clare, informed the BBC that the couple intends to present photographic and scientific evidence in a US court to demonstrate that Mrs. Macron is a woman.
“It is deeply distressing to contemplate the necessity of subjecting oneself to providing this kind of proof,” he commented.
Mrs. Macron first encountered her current husband during her tenure as a teacher at his secondary school.
The couple ultimately married in 2007, when Mr. Macron was 29 and Mrs. Macron was 54.