"Macron's Wife Is Transgender"... Two French Women Acquitted of Spreading Fake News

Appellate Court Overturns Guilty Verdict and Acquits Defendants
Brigitte in Shock... "Will Appeal to the Supreme Court"

Brigitte, the wife of President Emmanuel Macron, was acquitted on appeal after being accused by French women of spreading the false claim that she is transgender.

According to AFP and other foreign media outlets, on July 10 (local time), the Paris Court of Appeal overturned the first-instance guilty verdict and acquitted two women charged with defaming Brigitte. In the initial trial, the women had received a suspended fine of 500 euros (approximately 730,000 KRW) and were ordered to pay 8,000 euros (about 1,179,000 KRW) in damages to Brigitte for defamation, as well as 5,000 euros (about 737,000 KRW) to her brother, Jean-Michel Trogneux.

Brigitte Macron, wife of French President Emmanuel Macron. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

In 2021, the two women spread rumors on YouTube, claiming that "Brigitte does not actually exist" and that "her brother Jean-Michel underwent gender reassignment surgery and is pretending to be Brigitte." They also alleged that "Brigitte has committed fraud and deception against the French people and the nation."

After President Macron was first elected in 2017, this conspiracy theory began to spread on social media, and the YouTube video posted by the two women led to its global dissemination. Unable to tolerate the situation any longer, Brigitte filed a defamation lawsuit against the two women at the end of January 2022. Her attorney, Jean Enocchi, stated that "the damage is enormous and the rumor has spread everywhere," and demanded 10,000 euros (about 1,600,000 KRW) in compensation from each of the two women.

However, the appellate court overturned the first-instance verdict and acquitted the defendants, relieving them of any obligation to pay fines or damages. The appellate court stated that it did not rule on the truthfulness of the rumors, but based its decision on freedom of expression and the right to raise suspicions. Brigitte's attorney said, "She is shocked by this ruling" and announced plans to appeal to the Court of Cassation, France's highest court.

Meanwhile, other prominent women such as Michelle Obama, wife of former U.S. President Barack Obama, former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, and former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern have also been targeted by fake news attacks concerning their gender and sexual orientation.