'Good faith': French court clears two of defamation in Brigitte Macron gender case, reignites 'born a man' theory - How it begun
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'Good faith': French court clears two of defamation in Brigitte Macron gender case, reignites 'born a man' theory - How it begun")
French first lady Brigitte Macron Photograph: (Reuters)
A French appeals court has cleared two women accused of defaming Brigitte Macron by spreading false gender change rumours. The court ruled they acted in "good faith," overturning a previous order for them to pay damages to the First Lady and her brother
A French appeals court has overturned a ruling that required two women to pay damages to France's First Lady Brigitte Macron and her brother over a viral conspiracy theory falsely alleging she was born male. The court said the pair acted in "good faith" and dismissed the previous judgment, including financial penalties. In September 2023, a lower French court ruled in Brigitte Macron’s favour, ordering the two women to pay €8,000 in damages to her and €5,000 (about $5,500) to her brother. The court had found the allegations to be defamatory and invasive of privacy. Now the order by the Paris Appeals Court reversing that decision and stating that the defendants made their claims under a belief they were acting in the public interest - has sparked a widespread debate over the gender of Brigitte Macron. The court cancelled the damages, though it did not provide further legal justification for this reasoning.
The Allegations
The controversy began in December 2021, when Amandine Roy, a self-described spiritual medium, hosted Natacha Rey, an independent journalist, on her YouTube channel. During the four-hour video, Rey claimed to have uncovered a “state lie” — alleging that Brigitte Macron was originally a man named Jean-Michel Trogneux who had transitioned before marrying French President Emmanuel Macron. They discussed supposed gender-transition surgeries and revealed personal information about Brigitte’s real brother, Jean-Michel Trogneux, further fueling the false narrative.
Brigitte Macron and conspiracy theory
Brigitte Macron, 72, has long faced online disinformation and conspiracies, often centered around her 24-year age gap with President Emmanuel Macron. The French president called the rumours “false information” that “disturb intimacy". Tiphaine Auzière, Brigitte’s daughter, labeled them “grotesque” harassment. The First Lady has never spoken in public directly about these rumours but has responded to the conspiracy theories with firm legal action and measured public dignity.
