Translated title: Brigitte Macron counters transphobic slander allegations through a defamation lawsuit filing
In a bizarre turn of events, France's First Lady, Brigitte Macron, has found herself at the centre of a long-standing disinformation campaign regarding her gender identity. This conspiracy theory, which originated from a YouTube video in 2021, claims that Brigitte Macron was born as a man named Jean-Michel Trogneux, the name of her brother.
The initial defamation lawsuit against the two women who originated this theory, Amandine Roy and Natacha Rey, was filed by Brigitte Macron on Wednesday 19 June 2024. A lower court convicted Roy and Rey of defamation in September 2024, ordering them to pay €8,000 to Brigitte Macron and €5,000 to her brother. However, in a July 2025 appeal, the Paris Appeal Court overturned their convictions, ruling their allegations as claims made "in good faith" and in the public domain, effectively giving them legal cover to continue promoting the theory despite a lack of factual basis.
Amandine Roy, a French medium, and Natacha Rey, a blogger, have been involved in this controversy since December 2021. They claimed that Brigitte Macron was originally named Jean-Michel Trogneux and that her first husband did not really exist. This renewed online hostility and conspiracy claims against Brigitte Macron following the appeal decision.
Meanwhile, Brigitte Macron and her husband, President Emmanuel Macron, have also filed a defamation lawsuit against far-right commentator Candace Owens in Delaware in July 2025. This lawsuit accuses Owens of spreading similar false and malicious claims about Brigitte Macron's gender identity and alleged relationships, representing an extension of the legal defense of Brigitte Macron's reputation beyond France.
| Person | Role/Description | Initial Defamation Ruling (2024) | Appeal Outcome (2025) | Current Status | |------------------|------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|------------------------------------| | Amandine Roy | French medium, conspiracy theory promoter | Convicted; ordered to pay damages | Acquitted on appeal; ruling supports "good faith" claim | Legally cleared to continue claims | | Natacha Rey | French blogger, conspiracy theory originator | Convicted; ordered to pay damages | Acquitted on appeal; ruling supports "good faith" claim | Legally cleared to continue claims | | Brigitte Macron | French First Lady, defamation plaintiff | Won defamation damages (€8,000) | Conviction overturned on appeal | Suing renewed defamatory parties including Candace Owens in Delaware[5] | | Candace Owens | American far-right commentator, amplified theory | N/A | N/A | Facing defamation lawsuit filed by Macrons in Delaware[5] |
The disinformation campaign targeting France's First Lady has been ongoing for years, based on the bizarre conspiracy theory that she is a transgender woman. This saga serves as a stark reminder of the power of disinformation and the importance of fact-checking in the digital age.
In light of the disinformation campaign, Brigitte Macron and her husband Emmanuel Macron have also filed a defamation lawsuit against Candace Owens in Delaware, as Owens has been amplifying the baseless claims about Brigitte's gender identity. With the Paris Appeal Court overturning the convictions of Amandine Roy and Natacha Rey, these individuals are now legally cleared to continue promoting their transgender theory, despite a lack of evidence.
