In a significant court appearance in Paris, Tiphaine Auzière, daughter of Brigitte Macron, revealed that her mother’s health and quality of life have been adversely affected by persistent sexist cyber-bullying. The allegations come amidst a trial involving ten individuals accused of propagating baseless claims regarding the First Lady’s gender and sexuality.
At 41 years old, Auzière, who is the step-daughter of President Emmanuel Macron, testified on the concluding day of the trial. She recounted how conspiracy theories suggesting that Brigitte Macron is a transgender woman have taken a toll on her mother’s well-being.
“It is important to be here today to express the harm my mother has faced. I wanted to give an account of what her life has been like since the moment she started being targeted by these attacks,” Ms. Auzière remarked.
Auzière noted that since these allegations began circulating, she has observed a marked decline in her mother’s health. “She has had to be careful about her choices of outfits, of posture… She knows perfectly well that her image will be used to back these theories,” she explained. Furthermore, she expressed concern over how these claims have affected her mother’s grandchildren, who have faced bullying at school as a result.
“She hasn’t been elected, she hasn’t asked anything of anyone, and she comes under attack,” Auzière emphasized, highlighting the injustice of the situation. The prosecution is seeking suspended prison sentences of three to twelve months for the accused, alongside fines reaching €8,000 (approximately $9,300).
Defendants face serious allegations
The defendants, aged between 41 and 65, include a mix of public figures such as an elected official, a gallery owner, and a teacher. One defendant, Aurélien Poirson-Atlan, faces accusations of misinforming his 200,000 followers by stating that Mrs. Macron is a transgender woman, and likening the couple’s 24-year age difference to “state-sanctioned paedophilia.” In his defense, Poirson-Atlan described himself as a “satirist” aiming to present an alternative viewpoint.
Two other defendants, Natacha Rey, an independent journalist, and Amandine Roy, an internet fortune-teller, were previously convicted of slander for claiming that Brigitte Macron never existed and alleging gender changes in her family. They were later acquitted by an appeals court.
Macrons prepare to counter misinformation
Additional defendants have invoked their rights to free speech, with one suggesting that the Macrons should release pregnancy photos to substantiate Brigitte Macron’s biological status. In a broader context, the Macrons have indicated their intention to present photographic and scientific evidence in an upcoming U.S. court case against right-wing influencer Candace Owens, who has made similar unfounded claims about the First Lady. Owens has vowed to stake her “entire professional reputation” on her assertions regarding Mrs. Macron.
Earlier this year, the Macrons’ legal representative, Tom Clare, expressed the distress associated with needing to provide such proof. “It is incredibly upsetting to think that you have to go and subject yourself, to put this type of proof forward,” he stated. Brigitte Macron originally met Emmanuel Macron while he was a student in her secondary school, and they married in 2007, when he was 29 and she was 54.