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The French first lady's child, Tiphaine Auzière, informed a Paris court that false claims circulating on the internet—among them the unfounded rumor that the French first lady had a male birth identity—have severely damaged her mother's quality of life.

Auzière, a attorney, served as a witness in the court case of 10 individuals facing charges for online harassment against her mother.

Impact on Everyday Activities

She explained that Brigitte Macron now is always concerned about her appearance, such as the clothes she wears to her posture, because of the fear that every photograph might be distorted to support negative campaigns.

"The consequence is that she constantly needs to be careful to her outfits, how she holds herself, no matter what her activities in her daily life," Auzière testified.

Those on Trial and Charges

Ten individuals, in that age range, are in court for digital abuse. Several had a small social media following, while the rest were more prominent.

Each one is accused of posting harmful statements about the first lady's personal life. Among them, this extended to comparing the disparity in years with Emmanuel Macron to offensive labels.

If convicted, they could receive up to two years in jail.

Effect on Relatives

Auzière, a family member from Brigitte Macron's previous marriage, explained how the inaccurate allegations have led to a "deterioration of her health" and a "deterioration of her quality of life".

She said, "Scarcely a day goes by when an individual avoids discussing this to her."

Auzière emphasized the repercussions on her relatives, such as her grandchildren learning about malicious statements like "Your grandmother is not truthful" or "Your grandmother was born male".

"She has no idea how to end it," Auzière testified. "She didn't run for election, she has not sought any of this, and she is permanently subjected to these assaults."

Court Case Context

This case is the latest phase in a wider judicial fight against the baseless theory that the first lady is supposedly a man.

The Macrons have initiated a US lawsuit for defamation against a conservative podcaster who promoted the allegation.

The case asserts that the allegation is entirely inaccurate and points out that the person cited is in fact Brigitte Macron's older brother.

Defendants' Responses

In court, several defendants rejected the accusations.

• An individual, holding a public position, asserted he "had no purpose to cause harm" and referred to his social media content as humorous.
• Another defendant claimed that his social media shares were meant to be "irony" and voiced worry that the legal action could threaten "the right to speak freely".
• An art gallery owner said he disseminated posts since he thought it was a worldwide topic with "consequences for France".

Past Context

The false theory about the first lady's sex circulated in part because their marriage has frequently been a subject of discussion in digital spaces.

The first lady, who is significantly older than the president, originally knew the future president when she was a educator at the institution he attended.

The connection between them evolved through the school's theatre programme, and they entered into marriage in that year, subsequent to Brigitte Macron's marriage dissolution.

Auzière concluded her statement by saying that the baseless rumors have caused a "chaos that does not cease" for the first lady.