The Legal Battle Over Brigitte Macron’s Identity
In July, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, took legal action against US alt-right podcaster Candace Owens. Their lawyers accused her of orchestrating an online campaign that claimed Brigitte was a man, asserting that she would risk her entire career on this false premise. The accusations suggest that Owens relied on “discredited falsehoods” and “invented new ones” to gain attention and financial benefit through her podcast and video series, Becoming Brigitte, which has received millions of views.
The false claims about Brigitte first gained traction in 2021. Ahead of France’s 2022 presidential election, self-proclaimed journalist Natacha Rey alleged during a YouTube interview with spiritual medium Amandine Roy that Brigitte had been assigned male at birth and named Jean Michel Trogneux—Brigitte’s brother’s name. This claim is part of a broader pattern of misinformation targeting public figures.
The Rise of ‘Tranvestigations’
This type of misinformation, referred to by academics as “tranvestigations,” has become increasingly common. These campaigns often target cisgender women and seek to uncover a hidden transgender identity. According to Lexi Webster, associate professor of digital culture at the University of Southampton, such content spreads rapidly on social media platforms like X, Instagram, and TikTok. Users post images analyzing physical features such as shoulder size, skull shape, and gait, often accompanied by conspiracy theories.
The false claims about Brigitte Macron have gained traction partly due to the public perception that politicians are inherently deceptive. Other factors include the conspiratorial element rooted in transphobic narratives, such as the idea of a “trans cabal” seeking to control industries. Prominent figures like Alex Jones have also amplified these claims, further spreading the misinformation.
The Role of Online Communities and Bots
Right-wing or alt-right users fuel these claims, but many platforms are also flooded with bots that generate and reshape discourses based on what drives engagement. This creates an “engagement trap” where users like, comment, and repost content, keeping it alive. Even those who reshare content for humor contribute to its persistence.
Webster explains that the online satirical community, which highlights networks of hate, can inadvertently keep these stories alive by reshares them for comedic effect. Despite the absurdity, this generates more interaction, further entrenching the misinformation.
The Fake News Report About Brigitte Macron
Despite the lack of evidence supporting any of the false claims about Brigitte Macron, they have grown bolder and more innovative over time. In early July, a video styled as a TV news report surfaced online, gaining hundreds of thousands of views with each repost. The video depicted a crime scene and claimed that a surgeon named François Faivre, who supposedly planned to reveal details about Brigitte Macron’s alleged gender reassignment surgery, fell out of a window in Paris on 29 June.
However, EuroVerify traced the footage back to AFP footage from October 2022, not the claimed date. Additionally, the American Hospital in Paris confirmed it had no records of a surgeon named François Faivre. The video’s fake surgeon appears to be AI-generated, as his face shows minimal blinking, suggesting his speech was synthesized.
Conspiracy theories thrive on elements that sow doubt, such as the claim that Brigitte underwent gender reassignment surgery at the American Hospital in Paris. This narrative builds on previous stories, such as a 2019 lawsuit against Closer magazine, which claimed Brigitte underwent plastic surgery at the hospital. Conspiracy theorists exploit the fact that politicians rarely address such rumors, as discussing appearance could be seen as vain.
The Challenge of Combating Misinformation
Even if Brigitte Macron were to share her birth certificate, online users might still claim it is forged. Similarly, even if the Macrons win their defamation case against Candace Owens, it may not stop the spread of these claims. As Webster noted, “No evidence is good enough to stop the rumour.” This highlights the difficulty of combating misinformation in the digital age, where myths can persist despite factual refutations.