The daughter of French first lady Brigitte Macron, Tiphaine Auzière, told a Paris court that her mother now suffers from “deep anxiety” due to persistent, false claims circulating online that she is a man.
Auzière, 41, testified at the trial of ten people accused of online harassment for spreading what prosecutors described as “malicious comments” about the 72-year-old first lady’s gender and sexuality.
Auzière described the severe emotional and mental toll the disinformation has taken on her mother. She stated that there is “not a single week when she isn’t harassed,” and the baseless allegations are brought up constantly in both her personal and professional life.
The first lady is now vigilantly watching what she wears and how she carries herself, fearing any image of her may be “distorted” and weaponized online. This cyberbullying has led to a deterioration in Brigitte Macron’s mental health, which Auzière confirmed is supported by medical assessments.
The attacks have deeply affected the entire family. Auzière explained that her mother is devastated that “her grandchildren hear what is being said,” and “doesn’t know how to make it stop.”
The current case stems from a legal complaint filed in August 2024, alleging cyberbullying that led to arrests earlier in 2025. Investigations identified claims about Brigitte Macron’s gender and sexuality, as well as comments describing the age difference between her and the President as “pedophilia.”
On trial are ten individuals, eight men and two women aged between 41 and 60, including an elected official, a teacher, an IT specialist, and a business owner.
One of the defendants is 41-year-old advertising executive Aurélien Poirson-Atlan, who used the pseudonym “Zoé Sagan” on social media and is often linked to conspiracy theorists. If convicted, the defendants face up to two years in prison.
This domestic trial comes just three months after President Macron and his wife filed a 22-count defamation lawsuit in the US state of Delaware against right-wing podcaster Candace Owens.
The US lawsuit alleges Owens has broadcast “a relentless year-long campaign of defamation,” including a YouTube video entitled “Is France’s First Lady a Man?” which Owens promoted as “likely the biggest scandal in political history.”