French President Emmanuel Macron strongly condemned conspiracy theories claiming his wife, Brigitte, was born a man.
In an International Women’s Day interview, he called these rumors “false” and “fabricated,” voicing his frustration over their invasion of privacy and public credulity.
Rumors spread on social media and by far-right and anti-vaccine groups claim Brigitte Macron was born as Jean-Michel Trogneux. These baseless claims originated from a far-right journal article by Natacha Rey and were amplified by a YouTube video from clairvoyant Amandine Roy.
Brigitte Macron, mother of three, is suing over the false claims. Her lawyer, Jean Ennochi, confirmed legal proceedings have started. This action addresses concerns about the societal impact and credibility of these conspiracy theories on social media.
The Macrons’ relationship has been a subject of public interest due to their significant age difference, with Brigitte being 24 years older than Emmanuel. They first met when Emmanuel was a student and Brigitte was a teacher at the same school[6]. Despite the challenges and public scrutiny, the couple married in 2007.
The false claims about Brigitte Macron resemble transphobic theories targeting Michelle Obama and Jacinda Ardern. These attacks reflect misogyny and the stigmatization of women in the public eye.