French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, are preparing to take legal action in the United States to challenge a series of controversial and defamatory allegations. The couple plans to present a combination of photographic records and scientific evidence in a US court, aimed at countering claims repeatedly made by American far-right commentator Candace Owens. Owens, who has built a large following through her YouTube channel with over 4.5 million subscribers, has insisted on the unfounded narrative that Brigitte Macron was born male and later transitioned before marrying the French president.
The accusations have been a source of deep personal distress for Brigitte Macron, who is 72 years old and a mother of three children from her first marriage. She has consistently rejected the allegations, describing them as false, baseless, and defamatory. The situation escalated further after the Macrons filed a defamation lawsuit in Delaware in July, marking one of the rare occasions when a sitting French president has taken a matter of personal reputation into the courts abroad.
Their lawyer, Tom Clare, addressed the matter during an episode of the BBC’s Fame Under Fire podcast. Clare underscored the emotional toll the conspiracy theories have had on the French first lady, calling the allegations “incredibly upsetting” and a major “distraction” for the president at a time when he is engaged in matters of global importance. He emphasized that despite their high-profile status, the Macrons are human beings who deserve the same respect for their identities as anyone else. “It’s offensive and hurtful to them to be accused of effectively criminal acts and conspiring to lie to the world about their identities,” Clare said.
According to Clare, the Macrons are ready to go as far as presenting expert testimony along with family photographs to categorically disprove the accusations. He acknowledged the painful irony of having to prove such personal and intimate details in a legal forum but said the couple felt compelled to act given the persistence and reach of these damaging claims.
The defamatory conspiracy theories have circulated for years, alleging that Brigitte Macron was originally a man named Jean-Michel Trogneux who later transitioned. However, Jean-Michel Trogneux is, in fact, Brigitte’s brother, not an alternate identity. In September last year, Brigitte and Jean-Michel Trogneux successfully sued two women in France for defamation after they propagated the same falsehoods online. The Paris court ruled against the defendants, ordering fines and damages to be paid to the Macrons.
Brigitte Macron’s personal history stands in sharp contrast to the allegations. Before marrying Emmanuel Macron in 2007, she was known as Brigitte Auzire, a teacher at his high school in Amiens and the mother of three children. Emmanuel Macron, who was much younger, first encountered her as a student and, despite the complexities of their early relationship, vowed as a teenager that he would marry her one day. After divorcing her first husband, Brigitte later moved to Paris, where she reunited with Emmanuel. Their eventual marriage has been both admired and scrutinized, but the couple has always presented a united front against criticism and rumor.
Now in his second and final term as president at age 47, Emmanuel Macron continues to balance his political responsibilities with the personal challenge of shielding his family from falsehoods. Brigitte, who turned 72 in April, has faced these conspiracy theories with resilience but is now taking a more proactive stance alongside her husband by pursuing justice in international courts.
The case highlights not only the personal cost of viral disinformation campaigns but also the extent to which even world leaders and their families are vulnerable to baseless conspiracy theories amplified by social media platforms and influential commentators. The outcome of this lawsuit could set a significant precedent in how political figures respond to defamatory claims in an increasingly interconnected digital world.
