Brigitte Macron Suffers ‘Deep Anxiety’ Over False Gender Claims, Court Hears From Daughter

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French First Lady’s Daughter Reveals Toll of Gender Misinformation Campaign

The daughter of French First Lady Brigitte Macron testified in a Paris court Tuesday that relentless false claims about her mother’s gender identity have caused “deep anxiety” and significantly impacted the entire family’s wellbeing.

Tiphaine Auzière, 41, told the court her mother constantly worries about how she walks and dresses in public, fearing images will be “distorted” and weaponized online. The harassment has extended to Macron’s seven grandchildren, who face cruel taunts at school.

“There isn’t a single week when she isn’t harassed, not one person in her personal or professional life fails to bring up these allegations,” Auzière testified. “This has repercussions on her children and grandchildren. They hear things at school, such as, ‘Your grandmother is a man.’ I don’t know how to make it stop.”

Auzière, the youngest of Brigitte Macron’s three children from her first marriage to André-Louis Auzière, was called to testify in the trial of ten defendants—eight men and two women—accused of online harassment against the 72-year-old First Lady. The defendants allegedly spread “malicious comments” about her gender and sexuality and could face up to two years in prison if convicted.

“It was important for me to be here today to express the harm. I wanted to express what her life has been like since she suffered this hatred. There has been change and deterioration,” Auzière stated during her testimony.

According to Auzière, her mother has seen all the harmful messages directed at her. “She read them all. It hurt her enough. She doesn’t want to see them again,” she told the court. When Brigitte misses certain comments, staff at the Élysée Palace inform her about them, adding to the constant pressure.

The testimony provides a glimpse into the personal toll of disinformation campaigns targeting public figures. Medical assessments presented in court confirm the negative impact on the First Lady’s mental health, supporting her daughter’s testimony about the psychological distress caused by the persistent online attacks.

In late July, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife filed a defamation lawsuit in the United States regarding the false claims that Brigitte was assigned male at birth. This legal action demonstrates the seriousness with which the couple is confronting the misinformation.

The case highlights the darker side of social media and online discourse, where fabricated claims can spread rapidly and cause real harm to individuals and their families. Beyond the false gender claims, trolls have also attacked Brigitte Macron over the 25-year age gap between her and President Macron, sometimes using the derogatory label “pedophile.”

The harassment campaign against the French First Lady occurs amid growing concern about online misinformation targeting public figures, particularly women in positions of influence. Digital platforms have struggled to contain such coordinated attacks, which often blend political motivations with personal attacks.

French authorities have increasingly taken a firm stance against online harassment, with this high-profile case likely to set precedents for how the justice system handles digital defamation and harassment campaigns.

As the trial continues, it remains to be seen whether the legal proceedings will help diminish the online attacks or provide any relief to the Macron family. For now, Auzière’s testimony provides a rare window into the personal suffering behind the headlines, showing how digital harassment extends beyond the targeted individual to affect entire families.