A French court has delivered a verdict that highlights the darker corners of social media discourse, finding 10 individuals guilty of cyberbullying Brigitte Macron, wife of President Emmanuel Macron. The defendants had made false claims about her gender and sexuality, as well as malicious remarks about the significant age gap between them.
While one defendant received a six-month prison sentence, eight others were handed suspended sentences ranging from four to eight months. A tenth person was given a fine and ordered to complete sensitivity training. Even more concerning are the social media restrictions imposed on three of those found guilty, who will have their accounts disabled for six months.
At the heart of this controversy lies a fringe conspiracy theory that has been circulating online: the claim that Brigitte Macron is actually Jean-Michel Trogneux, her older brother. Proponents of this baseless notion believe she was born male and transitioned to living as a woman at some point in her life. This type of "transvestigation" often spreads hateful rhetoric about transgender people while bullying cisgender individuals.
The age difference between Brigitte Macron – 72 years old when they married in 2007 – has also been a contentious issue throughout Emmanuel Macron's political career. The court's decision serves as a warning to those who would seek to exploit this narrative for malicious purposes.
It's worth noting that President Macron has taken steps to combat such baseless claims, including filing a defamation lawsuit against right-wing podcaster Candace Owens in the US. Owens has repeatedly spread false information about Brigitte Macron's gender and has even staked her "entire professional reputation" on being correct. The court's verdict serves as a reminder that such actions have consequences.
While one defendant received a six-month prison sentence, eight others were handed suspended sentences ranging from four to eight months. A tenth person was given a fine and ordered to complete sensitivity training. Even more concerning are the social media restrictions imposed on three of those found guilty, who will have their accounts disabled for six months.
At the heart of this controversy lies a fringe conspiracy theory that has been circulating online: the claim that Brigitte Macron is actually Jean-Michel Trogneux, her older brother. Proponents of this baseless notion believe she was born male and transitioned to living as a woman at some point in her life. This type of "transvestigation" often spreads hateful rhetoric about transgender people while bullying cisgender individuals.
The age difference between Brigitte Macron – 72 years old when they married in 2007 – has also been a contentious issue throughout Emmanuel Macron's political career. The court's decision serves as a warning to those who would seek to exploit this narrative for malicious purposes.
It's worth noting that President Macron has taken steps to combat such baseless claims, including filing a defamation lawsuit against right-wing podcaster Candace Owens in the US. Owens has repeatedly spread false information about Brigitte Macron's gender and has even staked her "entire professional reputation" on being correct. The court's verdict serves as a reminder that such actions have consequences.
like what even is a transvestigation lol no idea how that term even exists, sounds super sketchy anyway cyberbullying is never okay and it's wild how some people would spread hateful rhetoric about trans ppl just because of baseless claims about Brigitte Macron ugh i feel bad for her and her husband too 
like the age gap thing was already a big deal for them but now they have to deal with this too? 
can't wait to see how President Macron's defamation lawsuit against Candace Owens plays out 
it's cool that he's taking steps to combat misinformation tho 
this is so messed up 
someone spreading lies like that about Brigitte Macron's identity online and the fact that she can get 10 people in trouble for it 
and not only does it harm her but also cisgender ppl who already face so much crap 
️... like, what even is wrong with these conspiracy theorists? it's just ridiculous. and the age gap thing, i get that people didn't know about it back in 2007, but now that emmanuel's president, ppl should be able to get over it, you know? 
anyway, glad the court took a stand against these cyberbullies... and brigitte macron finally gets some respect 
. this kind of stuff should've been addressed sooner, like, what happened with candace owens back in the states? 
. I mean, who spreads rumors about someone's gender and sexuality? 
That's just not cool 
. A conspiracy theory like that is just a huge red flag 
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. Suspended sentences are still too lenient imo 
. And yeah, social media restrictions can be really tough for people online 
. But I guess it's better than having them spread even more hate 
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. Filing a defamation lawsuit is a great way to show that spreading false info has consequences 
. And Candace Owens needs to be held accountable for her actions 
. It's time for people like her to think twice before spreading hate and lies 
AND CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS FRINGE CONSPIRACY THEORY IS CIRCULATING ONLINE? IT'S JUST SO DISGUSTING! IF YOU'RE GONNA MAKE SOMEONE A TARGET, AT LEAST HAVE THE COURAGE TO BE DIRECT ABOUT IT INSTEAD OF SPREADING BASELESS RUMORS!!! AND YEAH, I FEEL SORRY FOR BRIGITTE MACRON HAVING TO DEAL WITH ALL THIS ONLINE HARASSMENT... SHE DESERVES SO MUCH BETTER! 
... like, who even comes up with this stuff? A 10-year-old conspiracy theory about Brigitte Macron supposedly being Jean-Michel Trogneux and changing her sex at some point in life... it's just so ridiculous! 
. The court finally taking action against these cyberbullies is a good start, but I'm sure there are many more out there still spreading hate speech online 
. It's also kinda shady that Candace Owens was able to get away with spreading false info for so long before getting sued 
... I mean, what's next? Are we gonna start believing in vampires or something? 
? anywayz, i think its crazy how these cyberbullies can get away with it for so long 
and then get caught red-handed 
. btw, did u know that in 2020 alone there were over 15 million reports of online harassment in france 
? and that's just the tip of the iceberg 
, like wth is wrong with these ppl? cant they just leave Brigitte alone?! 
anyway, gotta say, the fact that Candace Owens has been spreading false info about Brigitte and staking her rep on it is straight up toxic 
Anyway, I do think it's good to see the French court taking action against cyberbullying and spreading hate speech online 
. Those guys who thought Brigitte Macron was actually her bro? What even is that? 
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? The social media restrictions on those found guilty are definitely a good start, but I wish they'd take it a step further and hold these people accountable for their actions 
. It's not just about the individuals being bullied, it's also about the harm that comes from spreading hate speech online. I'm glad President Macron is taking steps to combat this, including filing a defamation lawsuit against Candace Owens 
. We need more people like him who will stand up for what's right and call out false information 
this whole thing is wild... i mean, who makes up some crazy conspiracy theory about someone's identity? 
. i'm glad the court took a stand against these people and handed out some consequences... six months without internet access seems like a decent punishment to me 
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. It's not just about Brigitte Macron or her husband, it's about creating a culture where we uplift and support each other, not tear each other down 
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. The fact that these guilty parties will have their accounts disabled just shows that social media companies can't be trusted to keep everyone safe on their platforms 
!
shouldn't we all be more mindful of our words & actions in public spaces? 
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