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The French first lady's daughter, Tiphaine Auzière, testified to a tribunal in Paris that misleading allegations spread through social media—among them the baseless theory that the French first lady had a male birth identity—have negatively impacted her mother's personal well-being.

Auzière, a 41-year-old lawyer, served as a testifier in the trial of 10 individuals accused of digital bullying against her mother.

Impact on Daily Life

She testified that Brigitte Macron now is always concerned about her demeanor, including the clothes she wears to the way she carries herself, as a result of the apprehension that every photograph might be distorted to support hateful attacks.

"The consequence is that she always has to pay attention to her clothing, her body language, irrespective of she's doing in day-to-day existence," she informed the judges.

Defendants and Allegations

Eight men and two women, between 41 and 60 years old, are on trial for internet-based bullying. Several had a small social media following, while several more were more visible.

All is alleged to have spreading defamatory content about the first lady's personal life. In certain cases, this involved linking the age gap with the French president to hurtful comparisons.

Upon being found guilty, they may be sentenced to a maximum of two years in incarceration.

Family Impact

Auzière, a daughter from Brigitte Macron's first marriage, described how the false claims have led to a "worsening of her well-being" and a "decline of her overall existence".

She said, "Scarcely a day passes when a person does not talk this to her."

She emphasized the repercussions on her relatives, for example the younger generation being exposed to false assertions like "Your grandmother is not truthful" or "She is your grandfather".

"She does not know what to do about it," she remarked. "She holds no office, she never asked for any of this, and she is permanently subjected to this abuse."

Legal Battle History

The legal proceedings is the latest phase in a broader legal battle targeting the baseless theory that Brigitte Macron is transgender.

The couple have initiated a US lawsuit over false statements against a political commentator who promoted the claim.

The lawsuit clarifies that the accusation is completely false and identifies that the individual referenced is actually her older brother.

Trial Testimonies

During the trial, some of the accused disputed the accusations.

• A retired business owner, holding a public position, claimed he "did not mean to hurt anyone" and referred to his posts as humorous.
• A fiction writer claimed that his social media shares were meant to be "satire" and expressed concern that the legal action could endanger "free speech".
• A third defendant said he shared information since he thought it was an international matter with "implications for the country".

Past Context

The inaccurate claim concerning Brigitte Macron's identity spread partly because their union has often been a point of interest on the internet.

The first lady, aged two decades older than the president, originally knew the future president when she was a instructor at his secondary school.

The connection between them developed through drama activities, and they wed in the following year, after her separation.

She concluded her account by expressing that the false claims have created a "chaos that continues endlessly" for the first lady.