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Brigitte Macron's daughter, her daughter, testified to a Paris court that inaccurate assertions circulating on the internet—including the groundless claim that the French first lady is transgender—have severely damaged her mother's quality of life.

Auzière, a 41-year-old lawyer, served as a testifier in the court case of a group of defendants facing charges for digital bullying targeting her mother.

Consequences on Daily Life

She testified that the first lady now worries constantly about how she looks, from the clothes she wears to her posture, as a result of the apprehension that every photograph may be misused to support malicious comments.

"The result is that she constantly needs to be careful to her outfits, her posture, irrespective of her activities in day-to-day existence," she testified.

Accused Individuals and Allegations

The defendants, between 41 and 60 years old, are in court for digital abuse. Some had limited online influence, while the rest were better known.

Every defendant is alleged to have spreading defamatory content about the first lady's personal life. Among them, this involved equating her age difference with the French president to offensive labels.

If convicted, they face as much as 24 months in prison.

Effect on Relatives

She, a family member from her mother's initial union, stated how the baseless rumors have caused a "deterioration of her physical state" and a "decline of her daily happiness".

She testified, "Scarcely a day goes by when an individual does not talk this to her."

She pointed out the impact on the family, for example the younger generation being exposed to false assertions like "She is deceptive" or "Your grandmother is actually a man".

"She is unsure what to do about it," Auzière remarked. "She didn't run for election, she has not sought any of this, and she is permanently facing this abuse."

Court Case Context

The Paris trial is part of an ongoing effort in a wider judicial fight addressing the inaccurate allegation that Brigitte Macron is a man.

They have also filed a legal action in the United States for defamation against a conservative podcaster who promoted the allegation.

The legal filing asserts that the allegation is totally unfounded and identifies that the person cited is in fact her older brother.

Accused Individuals' Statements

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 posts as ironic.
• A well-known publicist claimed that his social media shares were meant to be "irony" and expressed concern that the legal action could undermine "freedom of expression".
• An art gallery owner explained he disseminated content since he thought it was an international matter with "implications for the country".

Personal History

The false theory regarding the first lady's sex circulated partly because the Macrons' relationship has frequently been a topic of comment online.

Brigitte Macron, aged significantly older than the president, originally knew Emmanuel Macron when working as a educator at his school.

The connection between them evolved through the school's theatre programme, and they married in the following year, subsequent to Brigitte Macron's divorce.

Auzière wrapped up her testimony by stating that the false claims have created a "storm that does not cease" for Brigitte Macron.