‘Born a man’ claim about France's first lady resurfaces after Paris court clears defamation accused

Brigitte Macron (Image :AFP)

Two women, Amandine Roy and Natacha Rey, who faced defamation charges for alleging that French First Lady Brigitte Macron was ‘born a man’, have been cleared by Parsi court. The Paris Appeal Court ruled that the blogger had ‘every right’ to make the allegation.

This has further fueled conspiracy theories surrounding French President Emmanuel Macron’s wife.

Roy, 53, and Rey, 49, alleged they faced pressure and intimidation from authorities, claiming that influential members of the Paris elite were attempting to conceal what they called a "state secret."

🇫🇷 BREAKING: Two women who were sued by France’s First Lady, Brigitte Macron, after they claimed that she was born a man, have been ACQUITTED by a Paris Court today. One of the women, Natacha Rey, apparently now intends to sue Brigitte Macron for FRAUD. WOW! 🍿🍿 pic.twitter.com/KfYert8Yx6

— Cillian (@CilComLFC) July 10, 2025

Their claims centered on the unfounded theory that Brigitte Macron, born Trogneux, was originally male and named Jean-Michel Trogneux - a name shared with her brother.

Brigitte Macron’s legal team stated that she was “devastated” by the ruling and intends to appeal the decision in France’s Court of Cassation.

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.

The defendants also claimed that Brigitte’s first husband, André-Louis Auzière, had never actually existed before his reported death in 2020, aged 68.

A judge in Lisieux, Normandy, had initially fined both women the equivalent of £1,700 each after finding them guilty of libel. Following appeals, Roy’s fine was reduced to £850, and Rey had £1,300 of her fine suspended, leaving her to pay £400.

Now, with their acquittal, neither woman is required to pay any fines, and they are legally permitted to repeat their claims about Brigitte Macron.

President Emmanuel Macron denounced the rumors as “false information” that “disturb intimacy,” while Brigitte’s daughter, Tiphaine Auzière, condemned them as “grotesque” harassment.