• Paris court finds two women guilty of libel for spreading false transgender conspiracy theory about French First Lady Brigitte Macron
• Self-proclaimed medium Amandine Roy and journalist Natacha Rey ordered to pay roughly $15,000 in fines and damages for viral YouTube video
• Conspiracy claimed Macron was born as her brother Jean-Michel Trogneux and transitioned before marrying French president

PARIS, France (TDR) — A Paris court delivered a decisive blow to conspiracy theorists Thursday, convicting two women of libel for spreading false claims that French First Lady Brigitte Macron was born male and living as a transgender woman. The verdict marks a significant moment in France’s ongoing battle against online disinformation targeting prominent political figures.

Amandine Roy, a self-described spiritual medium, and Natacha Rey, who calls herself an independent journalist, will pay $8,600 to Brigitte Macron and $5,400 to her brother Jean-Michel Trogneux in damages. Each woman also received a $540 suspended fine. The total of roughly $15,000 sends a clear message about the legal consequences of spreading baseless conspiracy theories about public figures.

The viral YouTube conspiracy

The case stems from a four-hour YouTube video posted in December 2021, just months before France’s 2022 presidential election. In the video, Roy interviewed Rey on her YouTube channel, where they claimed to have uncovered what they called a “state lie” and “scam” of epic proportions. Their conspiracy theory alleged that Brigitte Macron was actually Jean-Michel Trogneux — her real brother — who had undergone gender transition surgery and assumed his sister’s identity before marrying Emmanuel Macron.

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The women discussed supposed surgeries, revealed personal family information, and built an elaborate narrative around the 24-year age gap between the Macrons, which has long attracted commentary in France. The video went viral ahead of the presidential election, spreading across French social media and eventually reaching conspiracy theory circles in the United States.

They discussed surgery she was supposed to have undergone, and revealed personal information about the first lady’s brother.

Jean-Michel Trogneux attended the trial to prove his separate existence from his sister. The court presentation included electoral cards showing that both Brigitte Macron and Jean-Michel voted in different towns during the June 9 European Elections — she near Touquet, he in Amiens. The evidence systematically dismantled the defendants’ claims.

Part of a broader pattern

The Macron case represents just one example of a troubling trend targeting high-profile women with gender-based conspiracy theories. Similar baseless attacks have been leveled against former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Kamala Harris, and former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. These campaigns raise serious concerns about the erosion of truth in public discourse and the weaponization of transphobic rhetoric against women in power.

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During the trial, Roy defended her actions by claiming they were “just raising questions” and insisted “it wasn’t about gender but about a lie.” She argued the issue was serious given the Macrons’ level of state responsibility. The court rejected this defense, finding the women guilty of deliberate defamation that invaded the privacy and dignity of both Brigitte Macron and her brother.

American amplification

The conspiracy theory gained renewed traction in 2025 when American conservative commentator Candace Owens launched an eight-episode podcast series titled “Becoming Brigitte,” dedicating substantial airtime to promoting the debunked claims. “I would stake my entire professional reputation on the fact that Brigitte Macron is in fact a man,” Owens declared, amplifying the French conspiracy to her nearly 7 million X followers.

The Macrons responded by filing a 219-page defamation lawsuit against Owens in Delaware Superior Court in July 2025, seeking substantial damages for what they characterize as a “campaign of global humiliation.” Their legal team, which includes Clare Locke — the firm that helped secure Dominion Voting Systems’ historic $787 million settlement against Fox News — has assembled extensive evidence including childhood photos, birth announcements, and records showing Brigitte gave birth to three children with her first husband.

The Macrons’ relationship history

Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron first met when he was a 14-year-old student at the high school where she taught. Brigitte, then Brigitte Auzière, was a married mother of three. Their unconventional romance began when the teenage Macron participated in a theater workshop she supervised. He moved to Paris for his final year of high school but promised to marry her. She later divorced, moved to the capital, and they married in 2007. Macron, now 47, has served as France’s president since 2017 and is in his second and final term.

Legal battles continue

The September verdict against Roy and Rey was not the end of the legal saga. The defendants appealed to a higher court, which in July 2025 overturned their convictions, ruling they had acted in “good faith” when spreading the false claims. Brigitte Macron immediately appealed that decision to France’s highest court, the Court de Cassation, demonstrating her determination to hold accountable those who spread the conspiracy theory.

The first lady also faces another trial in October against four men, including a Facebook publicist known online as “Zoé Sagan,” charged with targeted harassment related to the gender disinformation campaign.

Should social media platforms bear legal responsibility for hosting and amplifying conspiracy theories that target public figures with demonstrably false claims?

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