Macron's wife sues conspiracists who claim she was born man
What's the story
Brigitte Macron, the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, is taking legal action against conspiracy theorists who claim she was born a man. The 70-year-old first lady is set to appear in court in Paris this June to pursue a libel case against those disseminating these baseless rumors. The unfounded claims, propagated by two French internet personalities, suggest that Brigitte was originally born a male named Jean-Michel Trogneux who underwent a gender transition in the 1980s.
International echo
Conspiracy theory amplified by American right-wing commentator
The conspiracy theory surrounding Brigitte's gender gained traction last month when American conservative commentator Candace Owens alleged that Brigitte "is in fact a man." President Macron has vehemently denied these rumors, labeling them "false and fabricated." He expressed his frustration at an International Women's Day event in Paris this February, stating, "The worst thing is the false information and fabricated scenarios." Brigitte, 70, has long piqued the interests of many due to her marriage to the considerably younger Macron, 46.
Theory genesis
Origins of the conspiracy theory traced back to YouTube
The conspiracy theory first appeared in an article by freelance journalist Natacha Rey that was published in the far-right French publication "Faits et Documents" in 2017, following Macron's inauguration as president of France. In 2021, Rey and Amandine Roy, who calls herself a clairvoyant, made a now-deleted YouTube video as part of Roy's online show "Mediumsation." In it, Roy and Rey claimed that Brigitte was born as a baby boy named Jean-Michel Trogneux in 1953.
Further allegations
Additional false claims about Brigitte's first marriage
The conspiracy theorists also falsely claimed that Brigitte's first husband, André-Louis Auziere, was a fictional character. Brigitte and Auziere were married from 1974 to 2006 and have three children together. Rey alleged that an uncle of André-Louis, Jean-Louis Auziere, manipulated administrative documents to hide the fact that his wife had given birth to all of Brigitte's three children.
Legal developments
Expedited libel case and previous legal consequences
Following Owen's tweet suggesting Brigitte was born a man last month, her legal team has requested a French court to expedite the libel case from 2025 to June 2024. Last summer, a judge in Normandy found Rey and Roy guilty of libel. Following appeals, Roy was ordered to pay a fine just under $1,000 and Rey was fined approximately $500. Both Brigitte and her brother have initiated separate lawsuits against the women.