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Brigitte Macron ‘born a man’ theory gains traction after Paris court's controversial decision
Two women, Amandine Roy and Natacha Rey, convicted of defaming French first lady Brigitte Macron by saying she was ‘born a man’ were cleared on charges
Two women, Amandine Roy and Natacha Rey, convicted of defaming French first lady Brigitte Macron by saying she was ‘born a man’ were cleared on charges. A Paris Appeal Court on Thursday ruled that the clairvoyant and blogger had ‘every right’ to make the allegation. The ruling has further fueled the conspiracy theory about French President Emmanuel Macron's wife.
Roy, 53, and Rey, 49, had claimed they were subjected to ‘intimidation’ by authorities as ‘ultra protected’ members tried to cover up a ‘state secret’. Claims about the 72-year-old first lady, whose maiden name is Trogneux, was born ‘a man’ and was named Jean-Michel Trogneux surfaced. She does have a brother - Jean-Michel.
Brigitte Macron filed a libel complaint against the two women after they made the outrageous claims in a YouTube video in 2021. The claim went viral and sparked conspiracy theories.
A court in September last year ordered the women to pay 8,000 euros in damages to Brigitte Macron, and 5,000 euros ($5,500) to her brother. In January 2025, American commentator Candace Owens reignited the theory in a video titled Becoming Brigitte: An Introduction, claiming to “stake [her] career”.
President Emmanuel Macron called the rumors “false information” that “disturb intimacy". Tiphaine Auzière, Brigitte’s daughter, labeled them “grotesque” harassment.
Reacting to the Thursday ruling, one social media user said: “Brigitte Macron (born Jean Michel Trogneux) isn't just a man, but the Father of President Macron of France.”
“Brigitte Macron, The French President's Emmanuel Macron's Wife is allegedly a MAN and it's now going Mainstream in France,” another one added on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.
