As jets streaked through the skies above the Champs-Élysées, painting them in the colours of the French flag, Brigitte Macron stood poised beside her husband for the Bastille Day parade.
All smiles on the surface—but behind her composed demeanor was a personal storm that refuses to settle.
For eight years, France’s First Lady has mastered the art of public life—how to dress, how to carry herself, and how to weather the relentless attention that comes with being married to the President.
But the ongoing controversy that trails her has crossed a line that no amount of poise can deflect: questioning her very identity.
Rumours That Refuse to Die
What started as a fringe conspiracy theory has now become an ongoing legal battle.
Brigitte Macron is still locked in a fight against baseless claims suggesting she was born a man named Jean-Michel Trogneux and transitioned before marrying Emmanuel Macron.
The claims originated with blogger Natacha Rey and self-proclaimed spiritual medium Amandine Roy, whose viral video spread like wildfire online.
Even though the two women were initially convicted of defamation and ordered to pay thousands in damages, a Paris appeals court overturned that ruling last week.
Now, Ms. Macron is preparing to take the case to France’s highest court—the Court of Cassation.
A First Lady Under Attack
While Ms. Macron has always brushed off commentary about her fashion choices with charm—once quipping, “If it’s good for French fashion, why not?”—this is different.
The personal nature of the rumours has been deeply upsetting, despite her outward strength.
During the Bastille Day parade, dressed elegantly in all white, she stood tall beside her husband.
But the weight of the appeals court decision hung heavily in the background.
Her lawyer confirmed that she’s not backing down, and plans to continue fighting the lies.
The Wild Origins of a Baseless Theory
The conspiracy first exploded in December 2021, just as France was settling in for the holidays.
A four-hour YouTube video featured Rey and Roy making sensational claims that Brigitte Macron had once been a man.
They scrutinised old family photos, suggested her brother was a cover identity, and even pointed to fabricated evidence of gender transition surgeries.
The video racked up nearly 400,000 views and was circulated widely, particularly by US-based conspiracy theorists.
It gained traction just as Emmanuel Macron was preparing for his re-election campaign in 2022.
Brigitte Breaks Her Silence
After remaining silent through much of the initial frenzy, Ms. Macron finally spoke out in January 2022.
In a radio interview focused on her work against bullying in schools, she explained why she had to address the smear campaign.
“If I don’t speak up, I can’t expect people to listen to me when I talk about bullying,” she said.
She calmly outlined the anatomy of such campaigns: those who create the lies, those who amplify them, and the platforms that host them.
Fuelled by Extremism and Misinformation
The conspiracy theory gained legitimacy among far-right circles both in France and across the Atlantic.
Rey and far-right newsletter editor Xavier Poussard teamed up to push the story.
Soon, even American conservative commentators like Candace Owens began referencing it—despite its complete lack of factual basis.
French journalists have said this wasn’t accidental.
The goal, reportedly, was to export the rumour to the U.S. ahead of the presidential elections, tapping into the far-right’s disinformation machinery.
A Verdict That Raises Eyebrows
Initially, Rey and Roy were found guilty of defamation in September 2024.
The court ruled in favour of Ms. Macron and her brother, ordering the women to pay €8,000 and €5,000 in damages respectively.
But on July 11, 2025, the appeals court unexpectedly overturned the convictions.
The court claimed the women had the legal right to make the allegations, despite overwhelming evidence that the claims were false.
Ms. Macron’s legal team called the ruling “devastating” and confirmed plans to appeal once again—this time to the highest court in France.
A Rumour That Won’t Go Away
Even after the defamation ruling, false claims kept resurfacing.
A photo of a young male model in Russia was circulated online with the suggestion that it was Brigitte.
It wasn’t. Fact-checkers stepped in again, confirming the image had been manipulated and had no relation to her.
In February, yet another cropped family photo reignited the theory.
It was clear the conspiracy was evolving—not fading.
Brigitte Macron’s Resolve
Despite the emotional toll, Brigitte Macron remains committed to seeing the legal fight through.
She’s not only defending her name but standing up for truth in an era where online lies can spread faster than facts.
At this year’s Bastille Day celebrations, she stood beside President Macron once more.
Hand in hand, chin held high, she looked out over the crowds as planes flew overhead.
No one could know exactly what she was thinking in that moment—but one thing is certain: she’s not backing down.