World
French First Lady Brigitte Macron Appeals in Case Against Two Women Who Claim She Used To Be a Man
On Thursday, the Paris appeals court overturned earlier convictions against the two women for spreading false claims — that went viral online — that Brigitte Macron, 72, used to be a man.
Disinformation on Macron’s gender has circulated on social media for years. Her 24-year age difference with President Emmanuel Macron has also attracted much comment.
Brigitte Macron filed a libel complaint against the two women after they posted a YouTube video in December 2021, alleging she had once been a man named Jean-Michel Trogneux — who is actually Brigitte Macron’s brother.
French President Emmanuel Macron listens to his wife Brigitte Macron before a dinner ahead of the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), in the French Riviera city of Nice, on June 8, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
In the video, defendant Amandine Roy, a self-proclaimed spiritual medium, interviewed Natacha Rey, a self-described independent journalist, for four hours on her YouTube channel.
Rey spoke about the “state lie” and “scam” she claimed to have uncovered that Jean-Michel Trogneux had changed gender to become Brigitte, and then married the future president.
The claim went viral, including among conspiracy theorists in the United States.
A lower court in September last year had ordered the two women to pay 8,000 euros ($9,400) in damages to Brigitte Macron, and 5,000 euros to her brother.
Brigitte Macron’s lawyer Jean Ennochi told AFP Sunday that her brother, too, was taking his case against the dismissal of the charges to the highest appeals court, the Court de Cassation.
(AFP)
Kenya Insights allows guest blogging, if you want to be published on Kenya’s most authoritative and accurate blog, have an expose, news TIPS, story angles, human interest stories, drop us an email on [email protected] or via Telegram
The President’s Helicopter: How Ruto’s Aviation Empire Lands a Historic Airbus Milestone While His Government Writes the Tax Code
“TikTok Who? YouTube Sorry. A Kenyan-Built Platform Just Dropped—and 20 African Ministers Showed Up To Launch It.”
Denial Under Duress: The Untold Collapse Threatening David Lagat’s DL Group’s Empire
Stung By West Africa Rejections, France Courts Rest Of Continent at Kenya Summit
THE INSURER THAT TOOK YOUR PREMIUM AND FORGOT YOUR NAME: How ICEA Lion Left a Client Begging for Sh7.8 Million Across Four Months
Safaricom’s Sh1.4 Billion Reckoning: How Kenya’s Most Profitable Company Stole a Man’s Idea and Got Caught
Bush Air Safaris Founder John Ndiritu Risks Losing Property Over Disputed Loan Claim
Bia Tosha’s Claim For Injunction Is Designed To Sabotage The Sh300bn Sale of EABL Shares
KDC Accelerates the Creative Economy, Innovation and Youth-Led Enterprise Growth at Africa Forward Summit
Luxury Play for Influence: Inside Kempinski’s High-Stakes Bet on Brazzaville
How Did a Sh468K KRA Salary Allegedly Turn Into Sh30 Billion? Questions Deepen Over Commissioner George Obel and Ciala Resort Owner’s Wealth
Nairobi Freezes Binance Accounts in Sweeping Anti-Fraud Crackdown as Global Scandal Record Haunts World’s Largest Crypto Exchange
The Man Behind the Badge: How Prof. Erastus Kanga Turned Kenya’s Premier Wildlife Agency into a Theatre of Corruption, Fear and Impunity
THE UNTOUCHABLE CLERK: How Fatuma Mwalupa Allegedly Turned Kwale Assembly Into a Personal Treasury and Outsmarted Scrutiny
THE BRAZEN RETURN: Triton Thief Yagnesh Devani, Who Pillaged Kenya of Sh7.6 Billion and Fled, Now Asks the Same Courts He Escaped to Restore His Stolen Wealth
Green Gold, Rotten Roots: How Kenya’s Biggest Avocado Firms Hijacked a Sh5.8 Billion Harvest Ban
TotalEnergies Moves to Sue TikToker for Sh10 Million Over Contaminated Fuel Claim as Kenya’s Petroleum Sector Burns
Kenyan Motorists Stare At Possible Engine Damage And Heavy Losses As Report Confirms Substandard Fuel In Circulation
Why the April 21 Flopped Protests Expose Kenya’s Rudderless Opposition
KETRACO CEO Advert Marred By Controversies As Fears Grow That Kipkemoi Kibias Is A Predetermined Candidate
-
Investigations2 weeks agoHow Did a Sh468K KRA Salary Allegedly Turn Into Sh30 Billion? Questions Deepen Over Commissioner George Obel and Ciala Resort Owner’s Wealth
-
Business2 weeks agoGreen Gold, Rotten Roots: How Kenya’s Biggest Avocado Firms Hijacked a Sh5.8 Billion Harvest Ban
-
Africa1 week agoThe $24 Million Heist at the End of the World
-
Investigations2 weeks agoSerial Scammers Strike Again: How Kelvin ‘Sonko’ Onyango and Seth Steve Okute Built a Gold Fraud Empire on Kenya’s Reputation
-
Investigations2 weeks agoThe Greek Heist: How Inform Lykos Allegedly Robbed Kenyan Taxpayers of Sh650 Million While Printing the Nation’s Exams and Ballots
-
Investigations1 week agoThe Judge, The Disgraced Magistrate, The Auctioneer-Husband, The Fixer And The Lawyer: Anatomy Of A Sh16 Million Judicial Bribery Racket
-
Business5 days agoSafaricom’s Sh1.4 Billion Reckoning: How Kenya’s Most Profitable Company Stole a Man’s Idea and Got Caught
-
Business2 weeks agoFly 748 Returns to Kenya’s Skies With Fresh Push for Affordable Coastal Travel