Brigitte Macron identified as a man in hacked tax files: Inside the conspiracy that became a global attack

French President Emmanuel Macron (L) waves next to French President's wife Brigitte Macron as they pose before a meeting with Jordan's Crown Prince at the Elysee Palace in Paris on October 8, 2025. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP)

What began as a bizarre discovery inside France’s tax database has now become a flashpoint in the global disinformation war. France’s First Lady, Brigitte Macron, recently learned that her official government tax profile had been tampered with to identify her as a man.

Her chief of staff, Tristan Bromet, confirmed that the change appeared in a secure section of the tax authority’s online portal. “I tried it again with her, and sure enough. It’s a section reserved for your username, so it can’t be changed,” Bromet told BFMTV, adding that both were “completely surprised.”

The alteration renamed her “Jean-Michel, known as Brigitte Macron,” directly referencing an online conspiracy that has stalked the French First Lady for years.

The tax manipulation and who was behind it

An official complaint was quickly filed, prompting an inquiry by the French tax authority. Investigators later identified Juliette and Laurent A., a couple from Corsica, who inserted the false name in their own tax return as part of a political protest.

They had entered the name in a section related to dependents with disabilities, an act they later admitted was a “stupid and thoughtless joke.” While they apologised, Macron chose to pursue legal action, framing the episode as part of a broader “campaign of misinformation.”

The incident was featured in a documentary that revealed the authorities initially treated the matter as a technical glitch before confirming deliberate manipulation.

The long shadow of the ‘Jean-Michel’ conspiracy

The tax profile incident is not isolated. It traces back to a false narrative that first spread in 2021, claiming Brigitte Macron was born male under the name Jean-Michel Trogneux — the actual name of her brother.

These rumours began after the far-right publication Faits et Documents printed baseless claims that she had assumed her sister’s identity. The story exploded online after two women, Natacha Rey and Amandine Roy (real name Delphine Jegousse), released a four-hour YouTube video accusing Macron of being “a swindle,” “a deception,” and “a state lie.”

The Macrons sued for defamation and initially won. But the Paris Court of Appeal later overturned the conviction, citing freedom of expression. Brigitte Macron has since appealed that ruling, arguing that “freedom of expression should not shield deliberate personal defamation.”

From France to America: The conspiracy goes global

The same rumour resurfaced in 2024, this time in the United States. Conservative commentator Candace Owens, a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump, amplified the falsehood through an eight-part podcast series titled Becoming Brigitte.

The podcast repeated the transgender conspiracy and included additional unverified claims about both Macrons. Owens told her audience, “I would stake [my] entire professional reputation on the fact that Brigitte Macron is in fact a man.”

Brigitte Macron’s legal team, led by Tom Clare, dismissed Owens’s remarks as malicious defamation. Clare told the BBC’s Fame Under Fire podcast, “We’re prepared to demonstrate fully, both generically and specifically, that what she’s saying about Brigitte Macron is false. It is a process that she will have to subject herself to in a very public way. But she’s willing to do it. She is firmly resolved to do what it takes to set the record straight.”

In July 2025, the Macrons filed a defamation lawsuit against Owens in Delaware, accusing her of “platforming known conspiracy theorists and proven defamers.” The complaint seeks punitive damages and a jury trial.

Legal battles in France: Cyberbullying on trial

In Paris, a separate case is unfolding. Ten people, including a teacher, an elected official, and an art gallery owner, are facing trial for “sexist cyberbullying” against Brigitte Macron.

Prosecutors allege they amplified misogynistic and defamatory content online, often referencing her age and false gender claims. Among them is Aurélien Poirson-Atlan, accused of spreading explicit material and fake stories under the pseudonym “Zoe Sagan.”

Delphine Jegousse (Amandine Roy) is also among the accused, marking a return to court after her earlier acquittal. French authorities view the case as a key test in enforcing laws against gender-based cyber harassment.

A symbol of how misinformation becomes abuse

For Brigitte Macron, the saga has gone far beyond political insult. It is now deeply personal. “Like many French people, Madame Macron logged into her personal account on the tax website. She logs into the system and sees that it does not say Brigitte Macron, but Jean-Michel Macron,” said Bromet.

French officials see the attack as emblematic of how conspiracy theories can mutate from online gossip into real-world violations. Even if the tax hack began as a prank, it revealed how fragile privacy can be in the digital age, even for those at the highest levels of public life.

The First Lady’s legal actions now carry wider implications, not just for her own reputation, but for how democracies combat the weaponisation of misinformation against women in politics.