Brigitte Macron appeals Paris court acquittal of pair who claimed she was born male

Brigitte Macron has filed a libel complaint following the release of a video that claimed she was born male. Her legal team sought damages over what they called an “invasion of privacy and falsehoods.”  This after the two women who were previously convicted for publishing claims that Macron was born male had their convictions overturned by a Paris appeals court.

The ruling, delivered Thursday, clears Amandine Roy and Natacha Rey of defamation charges tied to a widely circulated YouTube video from December 2021, reports France 24.

In the video, Rey claimed Macron was originally a man named Jean-Michel Trogneux. The four-hour video, hosted by Roy, included speculation about Macron's family life and personal history.

A lower court had ruled against the two women in September 2023, ordering them to pay €8,000 to Macron and €5,000 to her brother.

Last week, though, the appeals court dismissed the charges relating to 18 separate allegations included in the original case. The only point that remained under scrutiny involved a segment referencing the corruption of a minor, but the court also issued an acquittal on that count, citing good faith on the part of the defendants.

Macron’s lawyer, Jean Ennochi, told AFP that Jean-Michel Trogneux intends to appeal the latest ruling.

In the video, Rey described the claim as a “state-sponsored lie” and a “scam.” The women showed personal photographs, speculated on possible surgeries, and alleged that Brigitte Macron was not the mother of her children.

The theory has spread beyond France. In the United States, commentator Candace Owens has drawn attention to the claim.

A book titled Devenir Brigitte ("Becoming Brigitte") by Xavier Poussard, which supports the allegation and also includes accusations of pedophilia and incest, was self-published in France on February 21. The book, presented by Owens, has climbed to the top of Amazon France’s best-seller list.