(MENAFN) A Paris court has begun hearings for ten individuals accused of sexist cyber-bullying targeting Brigitte Macron, the wife of France’s president. The defendants face allegations of spreading false claims about her gender and sexuality, as well as making “malicious remarks” concerning the 24-year age difference between her and President Emmanuel Macron. Convictions could result in up to two years’ imprisonment.

The group includes a range of professionals, such as an elected official, a gallery owner, and a teacher. Two of the accused — independent journalist Natacha Rey and online fortune-teller Amandine Roy — were previously found guilty of slander for asserting that Brigitte Macron never existed and that her brother, Jean-Michel Trogneux, had undergone gender transition and adopted her name. An appeals court later overturned the convictions, ruling the statements were not defamatory. Brigitte Macron and her brother are appealing this decision.

The controversy stems from long-standing conspiracy theories suggesting that Brigitte Macron is transgender, claims that have circulated widely since Emmanuel Macron’s first presidential campaign in 2017. These narratives have recently gained traction in the United States, notably amplified by right-wing influencer Candace Owens. In July, the Macrons filed a lawsuit against Owens, alleging that she ignored credible evidence disproving her claims while promoting known conspiracy theorists and repeat defamers.

Tom Clare, the Macrons’ lawyer, described the online attacks as “incredibly upsetting” and a distracting interference for the president. Emmanuel Macron has framed the legal action against Owens as an effort to defend his and his wife’s honor, stating that false information had been spread “with the aim of causing harm, in the service of an ideology and with established connections to far-right leaders.”

Brigitte Macron first met her future husband when she was a teacher at his secondary school, and the couple married in 2007, when he was 29 and she was 54.

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