Fact Check: French court ruled on defamation case appeals, not Brigitte Macron's gender
Social media posts, reacting to the Paris Court of Appeal decision, said it was confirmation that Brigitte Macron was a transgender woman born a man.
'Brigitte Macron is not a woman,' said one July 13 Facebook post, opens new tab. 'What once sounded like a conspiracy theory now stands confirmed in a court ruling.'
However, a copy of the July 10 ruling seen by Reuters shows the Paris Court of Appeal acquitted two women of defaming Brigitte Macron. The court did not rule on the truth of the claims about her gender.
Delphine Jegousse and Nathalie Rey had claimed, in a video published in December 2021, that Brigitte Macron was a transgender woman born a man, originally called Jean-Michel Trogneux. That is also the name of her real brother, who was a co-plaintiff in the case.
A criminal complaint was filed, and in September 2024 the Paris Judicial Court found both women guilty of defamation., opens new tab They were fined and ordered to pay 8,000 euros ($9,150) to Brigitte Macron and 5,000 euros to her brother.
The Paris Court of Appeal in July 2025 said the allegations about gender and transition were made 'in good faith' and therefore did not constitute defamation given the importance of freedom of expression in a democratic society, court documents show.
The court overturned the women's convictions and acquitted them of all charges.
All credible media, opens new tab reports, opens new tab say the Paris Court of Appeal acquitted the women of defamation and did not rule on Brigitte Macron's gender.
An attorney representing Brigitte Macron and her brother did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Jean-Michel Trogneux is appealing the latest ruling to a higher French court, his attorney told AFP, opens new tab on July 13.
On July 23, Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron filed a defamation lawsuit in the U.S. against right-wing influencer Candace Owens, centred on her assertions that Brigitte Macron is a man.
In her podcast that day, Owens said, "This lawsuit is littered with factual inaccuracies" and part of an "obvious and desperate public relations strategy" to smear her character.
Reuters has previously addressed baseless claims about Brigitte Macron's gender. In August 2024, a fact-check showed that an altered picture of a young Russian male model had been shared online with the false suggestion that it was Brigitte Macron as a young man.
False. The Paris Court of Appeal ruled on a defamation case involving Brigitte Macron, not on her gender.
This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work.
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