Macrons sue American podcaster: The ‘Brigitte is a man' theory, and a rise in ‘transvestigation'

Indian Express

4 days ago

In a rare defamation lawsuit, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, have accused American right-wing podcaster Candace Owens of spreading 'outlandish, defamatory and far-fetched fictions' against France's First Lady.
In the suit, filed in the US state of Delaware on July 23, the Macrons said that Owens has used the false statement that Brigitte was 'in fact a man' to 'promote her independent platform, gain notoreity, and make money'. The lawsuit added that though they served Owens several retraction demands, presenting her the opportunity to retract her false claims, she chose to ignore them.
The dubious claims regarding Brigitte's gender first appeared in public in 2021, in the run-up to the 2022 French Presidential elections. Since then, several far-right conspiracy theorists have fanned the rumours, especially on social media. The significant age gap between Macron has been another target of rumours.
Let's take a closer look at the controversy surrounding the Macrons.
In the court filings, the Macrons have said that a self-described independent journalist, Natasha Rey, first posted the claim that Brigitte was transgender and had stolen a woman's identity in a since-deleted Facebook post in May 2021.
Rey went on to work with another investigative journalist, Xavier Poussard, and co-wrote publications regarding Brigitte's 'biological sex'. She then appeared in a YouTube video with Amadine Roy, a self-proclaimed spiritual medium. Rey repeated the claim that Brigitte was born as Jean-Michel Trogneux and had stolen the identity of Brigitte Trogneux.
Jean-Michel is the First Lady's biological brother. Several conspiracy theorists have shared childhood photos of the siblings to claim similarity in their appearances.
Rey and Roy also claimed that Brigitte's first husband, whom she was married to between 1974 and 2006, never existed and that she was not the mother of the three children from her first marriage.
Who is Candace Owens, and how did she get involved?
Owens, often described as a far-right political commentator, has millions of followers across social media platforms, including YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. She first made her mark in French politics when she was invited to a right-wing convention in 2019, where she spoke against Macron.
Before this, she had gained fame in American right-wing circles.
Owens was born on April 29, 1989, in Connecticut. She studied journalism at the University of Rhode Island, but dropped out before completing her degree. She started gaining traction in 2016-17, given that she was a Black conservative who was supporting Donald Trump as President.
She went on to work with Turning Point USA, an organisation that supports young conservative activists. She was a staunch advocate for 'Blexit', advising Black Americans to abandon the Democratic Party, for portraying them as 'victims.' She eventually joined The Daily Wire, a right-wing media house founded by Ben Shapiro. Owens was let go from The Daily Wire in 2024, just three years after she joined the organisation, for alleged anti-semitic statements in the wake of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Just before she departed from The Daily Wire, Owens published an episode of her talk show fanning the conspiracy theory around Brigitte, bringing global attention to the rumours. She later launched her independent talk show, Candace, on YouTube. In August 2024, she interviewed Poussard about the allegations. The episode was reportedly taken down by YouTube.
In February this year, she published an eight-part series called Becoming Brigitte, repeating the claims about the First Lady. Poussard also appears in one of the episodes. She alleged that Macron and Brigitte were blood relatives and made even more baseless claims that Macron was a product of a CIA programme called 'MK Ultra' that brainwashed people to create 'Manchurian candidates' (someone who acts against the interests of their country under the influence of another country).
How have the Macrons responded?
Brigitte had filed a libel complaint against Rey and Roy after they published their video in December 2021. In September last year, a lower court had ordered the two women to pay €8,000 in damages to Brigitte and €5,000 to her brother. But an appeals court overturned the decision earlier this month. Brigitte has now taken the fight to France's highest appeals court.
In the court filing for their lawsuit against Owens, the couple have denied all charges, and stated that in official retraction demands, they have explicitly confirmed to Owens that Brigitte was a biological woman, that she and the President were not related, and that he has not participated in any government 'mind-control programmes'.
In May, when a video of Brigitte seemingly shoving Macron aboard their plane during a trip to Vietnam went viral, the President addressed the online misinformation targeting them. 'I see many crazies spending a lot of time interpreting these videos,' Macron said, clarifying that he and his wife were just joking around.
In the court document, the Macrons have said that they have been a subject of a 'campaign of global humiliation'. 'Every time the Macrons leave their home, they do so knowing that countless people have heard, and many believe, these vile fabrications. It is invasive, dehumanizing, and deeply unjust,' the document read.
'Faced with this relentless and unjustified smear campaign, the Macrons are left with no choice but to seek relief through this Court to set the record straight, and prevent further harm,' it added.
The Macrons have elaborated on their relationship as well. The document stated that Macron met Brigitte, who was a teacher and a mother of three at the time, as a high school student. They shared a passion for literature and theatre, and formed a 'deeper intellectual bond'. The document clarifies, 'At all times, the teacher-student relationship between Mrs. Macron and President Macron remained within the bounds of the law.'
A rise in 'transvestigation'
Brigitte is not alone in facing the slew of online hatred and disinformation campaigns around her gender. According to GLAAD, a non-profit LGBTQ+ advocacy organisation, several public figures are targeted by hate-driven conspiracy theories that accuse them of being 'transgender', sparking pseudo-scientific 'investigations' into their appearance, conduct and past. This is referred to as 'transvestigation'.
Former First Lady of the US Michelle Obama, pop star Taylor Swift, tennis player Serena Williams, and former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, among others, have also been targets of this malicious online campaign.
These so-called transvestigators subscribe to beliefs rooted in transphobia, building on prejudices against the transgender community. They often use these allegations to discredit and ridicule women or men in positions of power, spark defamatory gossip about popular celebrities, and body-shame.
Sonal Gupta is a senior sub-editor on the news desk. She writes feature stories and explainers on a wide range of topics from art and culture to international affairs. She also curates the Morning Expresso, a daily briefing of top stories of the day, which won gold in the 'best newsletter' category at the WAN-IFRA South Asian Digital Media Awards 2023. She also edits our newly-launched pop culture section, Fresh Take.
... Read More