A French appeals court overturned on Thursday the verdict against two women for defamation of the French President's wife Brigitte Macron.
The women were convicted last year to pay damages after spreading rumors that the French President's wife is a trans woman. The rumor went viral in connection with the presidential election 2022.
The conspiracy theory that was then spread, via a Youtube video posted by the two women in December 2021, was that Brigitte Macron had been a man named Jean-Michel, which is the name of her brother. Thus, the women also meant that Brigitte Macron and her brother are actually the same person.
Now the women are acquitted, among other things, with the argument that they had made the mistake in "good faith". The appeals court does not provide any more details.
The previously convicted women will no longer have to pay the damages.
