Verdicts & sentences

French Court Clears Women in Brigitte Macron Defamation Case

Published JUL 11 2025

Story

Above: French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte visit The British Museum on July 9, 2025, in London, England. Image credit: Benjamin Cremel/WPA/Pool/Getty Images

The Facts

A Paris appeals court on Thursday overturned defamation convictions against two women who claimed French First Lady Brigitte Macron was born a man, ruling their statements constituted "good faith" free speech rather than libel.
France 24
Daily Mail
Amandine Roy, a 53-year-old clairvoyant, and Natacha Rey, a 49-year-old blogger, appeared in a four-hour YouTube video in December 2021 claiming Brigitte Macron was born as "Jean-Michel Trogneux," which is actually her brother's name.
Lemonde
Daily Mail
The lower court in September 2024 had originally ordered the women to pay 8,000 euros ($9,300) in damages to Brigitte Macron and 5,000 euros to her brother Jean-Michel Trogneux, but they will no longer have to pay these damages following the appeal.
The Telegraph
France 24
Lawyers for Brigitte Macron indicated she was "devastated" by the appeals court decision while she was returning from a state visit to Britain, adding that she plans to take the case to France's highest court, the Cassation Court.
Extra.ie
Daily Mail
The allegations have circulated on social media for years and recently gained traction among American political pundits, including right-wing commentator Candace Owens, who broadcast the allegations in a video titled "Becoming Brigitte: An Introduction."
The Telegraph
Lemonde
In a separate case, four men, including publicist Aurelien Poirson-Atlan, known on social media as "Zoe Sagan," are scheduled to appear in a Paris court in October on charges of cyber-harassment against the French first lady.
Barrons
France 24

Sources Split

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The Spin

Narrative A

While these pseudo-journalists may have been acquitted on a free speech technicality, that doesn't mean they're correct. Brigitte Macron, like many famous women in politics, faces unrelenting attacks, many of which demean successful women. These allegations are clearly absurd, but conspiracy theorists will continue to push them to get clicks.

Lemonde

The Telegraph

Narrative B

This lawsuit never addressed claims that Brigitte Macron was born a man, showing Macron's fear of tackling that accusation in court. What it actually focused on was minor defamation, like child grooming, but the media, at the behest of the presidential palace, framed the original conviction as one over "transphobic" claims. The appeal's acquittal has exposed this, which means claims about the French First Lady are still up for debate.