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Brigitte Macron's daughter, Tiphaine Auzière, testified to a tribunal in Paris that false claims online—such as the groundless claim that she was born a man—have severely damaged her mother's personal well-being.

Auzière, a attorney, was called as a witness in the trial of ten people allegedly involved in digital bullying targeting Brigitte Macron.

Consequences on Daily Life

She stated that her mother now is always concerned about how she looks, such as her fashion choices to her posture, due to the fear that any image could be misused to advance malicious comments.

"The outcome is that she constantly needs to be careful to her outfits, her posture, no matter what her activities in her daily life," Auzière told the court.

Accused Individuals and Allegations

The defendants, aged 41 to 60, are in court for online harassment. Several had a small social media following, while the rest were more visible.

Each one is alleged to have posting harmful statements about Brigitte Macron's identity. For some, this included equating the age gap with the French president to offensive labels.

Upon being found guilty, they may be sentenced to as much as 24 months in incarceration.

Consequences for Loved Ones

Auzière, a daughter from her mother's first marriage, described how the inaccurate allegations have led to a "decline of her health" and a "worsening of her quality of life".

She explained, "Not a day goes by when a person fails to mention these claims to her."

Auzière emphasized the impact on the family, for example the kids hearing malicious statements like "Your grandmother is deceptive" or "She was born male".

"She is unsure how to end it," Auzière testified. "She holds no office, she never asked for public attention, and she is constantly experiencing these assaults."

Legal Battle Context

The legal proceedings is the latest phase in a extended court case addressing the baseless theory that the first lady was transgender.

They have also filed a legal action in the United States over false statements against a media personality who spread the claim.

The lawsuit clarifies that the claim is totally unfounded and points out that the individual referenced is actually her older brother.

Accused Individuals' Statements

Throughout the proceedings, some of the accused rejected the allegations.

• An individual, holding a public position, stated he "had no purpose to hurt anyone" and described his social media content as humorous.
• A fiction writer stated that his posts were intended as "satire" and expressed concern that the trial could endanger "the right to speak freely".
• An art gallery owner testified he disseminated content because he felt it was a global issue with "implications for the country".

Personal History

The inaccurate claim about Brigitte Macron's identity spread to some extent because their union has often been a topic of comment on the internet.

The first lady, being 24 years older than Emmanuel Macron, initially encountered him when serving as a teacher at his school.

Their bond evolved through the school's theatre programme, and they wed in that year, after Brigitte Macron's divorce.

She concluded her account by saying that the inaccurate allegations have created a "chaos that continues endlessly" for the first lady.