Whispered, relayed, amplified: the strange transphobic rumor targeting Brigitte Macron illustrates the insidious mechanisms of modern disinformation. A detailed and biting analysis of a case with delusional overtones.
The acquittal on appeal: between relief and perplexity
The fake news went viral even in the United States. Brigitte Macron is allegedly a transgender woman. This is what two women claimed by spreading this false rumor. The two defendants, Natacha Rey and Amandine Roy, were acquitted on Thursday, July 10, 2025, by the Paris Court of Appeal regarding the 18 articles challenged by the First Lady and her brother.
A passage on the corruption of a minor fell under press law. However, the court also acquitted them on the grounds of good faith.
"I will see with my clients what we will do, but obviously, we do not agree" with this judgment, insisted Me Jean Ennochi, lawyer for Brigitte Macron. "Natacha Rey, hunted, persecuted, condemned. But finally Natacha Rey acquitted," rejoiced Me François Danglehant, Rey’s lawyer.
This decision raises questions without challenging justice. Where should the line now be drawn between freedom of expression and blatant disinformation?
Convicted in the first instance
In September 2024, Rey and Roy were found guilty and sentenced to a 500-euro suspended fine, as well as to pay a total of 13,000 euros to Brigitte Macron and her brother, Jean-Michel Trogneux. At the heart of the trial is a video of more than four hours, broadcast in January 2022. It claims without evidence that the First Lady is her brother Jean-Michel, who became a woman.
Birth and spread of a persistent rumor
The rumor was born in the shadows and quickly thrived on social networks since their arrival at the Élysée. As early as 2021, the shaky but sensational theory took root thanks to a long and confusing video posted on Roy’s YouTube channel. The grotesque claim is based on an approximate mix of genealogies, blurry photos, and unverifiable medical allusions.
However, despite its obvious absurdity, it spreads at lightning speed. It is carried by communities eager for scandal and fascinated by conspiracy theories. This phenomenon is not isolated. Several political or public women have been victims of similar rumors. Among them, former American First Lady Michelle Obama, former American Vice President Kamala Harris, former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, and even American singer Lady Gaga or Sheila… All have been targeted by campaigns aimed at discrediting their image through transphobia.
The central role of social networks and media relays
Marginal accounts and controversial influencers on X, YouTube, and Facebook seize this theory. The rumor quickly goes beyond the French conspiratorial framework to reach American media close to the far right, notably relayed by Candace Owens, an influential Trumpist figure. A book, Becoming Brigitte, signed by far-right journalist Xavier Poussard, further amplifies the scope of this disinformation across the Atlantic.
This spread reveals the precise mechanisms of contemporary disinformation: an audience fascinated by extravagance and a growing tendency to challenge official reality.
Transphobia and political hostility: the motivations behind the rumor
Why specifically target Brigitte Macron? Behind this insidious campaign lies an obvious political hostility towards the presidential couple, mixed with reactionary fantasies. These accusations, often directed against powerful women, exploit social anxiety related to gender. They also serve specific political agendas.
Here, transphobia becomes a political weapon: accusing the First Lady of concealing her identity reinforces prejudices and indirectly weakens Emmanuel Macron.
The protagonists: between self-proclamations and condemnations
Natacha Rey, "self-taught independent journalist," and Amandine Roy, "medium," suddenly find themselves at the center of a national scandal. Their video quickly attracts attention and triggers an intense controversy that forces Brigitte Macron to react publicly.
A historical tradition: from the Markovic affair to Amanda Lear
The use of rumors to discredit public figures is not new. The Markovic affair, which targeted Georges Pompidou in the 1960s, remains emblematic. The presidential couple was accused without proof of participating in libertine parties to politically weaken Pompidou.
In a different vein, Amanda Lear, an iconic singer and TV host of the 70s-90s, was herself the victim of a persistent rumor regarding her gender identity. However, unlike others, Lear chose to exploit this ambiguity for media purposes. Her carefully maintained mystery became her trademark. In Patrick Jeudy’s documentary for Arte, Call Me Mademoiselle, released in 2022, Lear deliberately blurs the lines. Despite years of investigation, no one has been able to definitively lift this mystery. Lear, provocative and subtle, even ironically sang about this ambiguity in The Rumor, openly mocking the popular obsession with her identity.
Disinformation, a political tool and media phenomenon
The Macron case highlights how the digital space promotes the spread of false information, likely to disrupt public debate. Transphobia thus becomes a worrying and powerful ideological vector.
The dilemma remains: how far should the fight against disinformation go without compromising freedom of expression?
Transphobic rumor, symptom of a deleterious climate
The affair around Brigitte Macron reveals the excesses of an era marked by distrust of the elites. Moreover, it illustrates the current informational confusion. The line between reality and fantasy remains blurred. The First Lady joins the list of victims of viral campaigns. In these campaigns, gender becomes a pretext for hatred and exclusion.