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New Delhi: French President Emmanuel Macron's wife Brigitte has been targeted in a conspiracy that questions the First Lady's gender identity. The Macrons are battling a flood of trolls. Now, the President has to prove that his wife is not a "transgender woman".
According to their lawyer Tom Clare, the President and his wife are set to present “photographic and scientific” evidence in a US court to prove the First Lady is a woman. This comes amid the Macrons filing a defamation lawsuit against Candace Owens, a right-wing Maga influencer.
It was in 2017 that Natacha Rey or Nathalie Rey, a blogger, in a YouTube video, alleged that Brigitte was actually her brother, Jean-Michel Trogneux - who had changed his gender and name. In 2021, she reiterated her claim during an interview with a spiritual medium, Amandine Roy. Rey even shared evidence claiming that a childhood photo of Brigitte's brother looked similar to the First Lady.
As conspiracies flew thick and fast, the Macrons sued the blogger and Roy for defamation, and they were found guilty in September 2024. However in July 2025, the Paris Court of Appeal overturned the verdict, stating the claims were made in “good faith” and did not amount to defamation.
In 2024, Candance Owens, who has 7.1 million followers on X, started circulating strange conspiracy theories about Brigitte's gender through her YouTube videos and podcasts. In March last year, she said that she would stake her “entire professional reputation” on her claim that Brigitte “is in fact a man” and “he transitioned” secretly decades ago.
In July this year, the Macrons filed a defamation lawsuit against Owens. She was accused of spreading “outlandish, defamatory, and far-fetched” lies that have sparked a “campaign of global humiliation” and “relentless bullying”.
However, Owens dubbed the defamation suit an "obvious and desperate public relations strategy", and said Ms Macron is a "very goofy man". “I am fully prepared to take on this battle,” she said on her podcast. “On behalf of the entire world, I will see you in court.”
Lawyer Clare said the Macrons will present photographic and scientific evidence to prove that Ms Macron is a woman in a Delaware court in the defamation suit against Owens. They are expected to present pictures in court showing Brigitte pregnant and bringing up her children.
During a podcast on BBC, Clare remarked that it was incredibly upsetting to think that you have to go and subject yourself to put this type of proof forward. "But just like anybody who is juggling a career and a family life as well, when your family is under attack, it wears on you. And he’s not immune from that because he’s the president of a country,” he said.
Clare pointed out that there would be “expert testimony that will come out that will be scientific in nature” and added that the Macrons were planning to present “both generically and specifically” that the charges are unfounded.
The President has justified the defamation case against Owens, stating that it was about defending his honour and called the allegations a "nonsense".
