France tries suspects over false claims of Brigitte Macron being transgender
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Mrs Brigitte Macron with French President Emmanuel Macron. She filed a complaint for libel against two women who posted a YouTube video in December 2021 alleging she had once been a man named “Jean-Michel”.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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Paris – Two women went on trial on June 19 over false claims that French First Lady Brigitte Macron was transgender, which sparked online rumour-mongering by conspiracy theorists and the far right.
In 2022, Mrs Macron filed a complaint for libel against two women
The claim went viral just weeks before France’s presidential election in 2022.
The trial on defamation charges comes amid a frenetic campaign for snap legislative polls
Ms Amandine Roy, a self-proclaimed spiritual medium, appeared in court in Paris on June 19 to answer questions about the interview she conducted with Ms Natacha Rey, an independent journalist who did not turn up citing illness.
Ms Roy, 49, had interviewed Ms Rey for four hours on her YouTube channel, during which the journalist spoke about the “state lie” and “scam” that she claimed to have uncovered.
Ms Rey was “desperate to share her work”, said Ms Roy, who had merely “acquiesced to her request”.
As for the credibility of the claims, Ms Roy insisted that Ms Rey “had spent three years researching, it’s not like she pulled it out of her hat”.
“My regret is that this wasn’t taken up and investigated by the mainstream media,” said Ms Roy, who said she could not “hide” such a “serious” subject.
Neither Mr Macron, 46, nor Mrs Macron, 71, was in court.
Messages multiplied on social media claiming that the First Lady, formerly Ms Brigitte Trogneux, had never existed and that her brother Jean-Michel had changed gender and assumed that identity.
The false claim also led to more serious accusations of child abuse brought against Mrs Macron.
“The prejudice is massive, it exploded everywhere,” said Mrs Macron’s lawyer, Mr Jean Ennochi.
He demanded €10,000 (S$14,500) in compensation each for Mrs Macron and her brother.
The disinformation even spread to the US, where Mrs Macron was attacked in a now deleted YouTube video ahead of the November election.
Mrs Macron is among a group of influential women – including former US first lady Michelle Obama and New Zealand’s former premier Jacinda Ardern – who have fallen victim to the growing trend of disinformation about their gender or sexuality, aimed at mocking or humiliating them.
A decision on the case is due to be made on Sept 12. AFP
