Defamation trial begins for women who claimed Emmanuel Macron's wife Brigitte was transgender
Brigitte Macron
Two women in France went on trial on Wednesday (June 19) over false claims that the country's first lady, Brigitte Macron, was transgender. These claims, propagated by conspiracy theorists and the far right, alleged that Brigitte Macron had once been a man named "Jean-Michel".
The rumour, as per AFP, went viral online just weeks before the 2022 presidential election.
A 'state lie' and a libel case
In 2022, Brigitte Macron filed a libel complaint against the two women.
The trial for defamation charges comes during a heated campaign for snap legislative elections called by Brigitte Macron's husband, French President Emmanuel Macron, after his party was defeated by the far right in the EU parliament elections.
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Amandine Roy, a 49-year-old self-proclaimed spiritual medium, appeared in court in Paris on Wednesday. She was questioned about her YouTube interview with Natacha Rey, an independent journalist who claimed to have uncovered a "state lie" and "scam" regarding Brigitte Macron's identity. Rey did not attend the trial, citing illness.
The self-proclaimed spiritual medium stated that Rey was "desperate to share her work,"which she had conducted over three years. She said she had merely "acquiesced to her request," adding, "My regret is that this wasn't taken up and investigated by the mainstream media."
She said that she could not bring herself to "hide" such a "serious" topic.
Neither President Macron nor the first lady attended the court proceedings. A decision on the case is expected on September 12.
Brigitte Macron or Jean-Michel
Per the conspiracy theory, Brigitte Macron, formerly Brigitte Trogneux, never existed. It suggests that the First Lady's brother Jean-Michel actually changed gender and assumed the Brigitte Trogneux identity.
The false claims, as per AFP, have also led to serious accusations of child abuse against Brigitte Macron. Her lawyer, Jean Ennochi, said that the "prejudice is massive, it exploded everywhere." They aredemanding €10,000 ($10,750) each in compensation for Brigitte Macron and her brother.
The disinformation even reached the United States, where Brigitte Macron was attacked in a now-deleted YouTube video before the November elections.
(With inputs from agencies)
