The French president, Emmanuel Macron, and his wife, Brigitte, intend to present scientific evidence in a United States court to refute claims that the First Lady was born male, their lawyer has confirmed.
The couple filed a defamation suit in July against the American commentator Candace Owens and her business, alleging a sustained campaign of falsehoods designed to boost the profile of her media platform, attract a larger audience, and generate revenue.
Owens, a prominent right‑wing influencer, claimed last year she would “stake [her] entire professional reputation” on the assertion that Brigitte Macron is a man named Jean‑Michel Trogneux. She has since repeated the allegation, including in an eight‑part podcast series.
Tom Clare, of the US law firm Clare Locke, which has secured several high‑profile defamation victories, told the BBC’s Fame under Fire podcast that the claims had been “incredibly upsetting” for Mrs Macron and were a “distraction” for the president. He said expert testimony “scientific in nature” would be presented, though he declined to specify its form.
“It is a process that she will have to subject herself to in a very public way,” Mr Clare said. “But she is firmly resolved to do what it takes to set the record straight.” He added that photographs of Mrs Macron during her pregnancies and raising her children would also be submitted.
Court documents state that Jean‑Michel Trogneux is Brigitte Macron’s elder brother, who lives in Amiens, northern France, where the siblings grew up with four others. He attended both of Emmanuel Macron’s presidential inaugurations in 2017 and 2022.
Brigitte Macron, 72, is 24 years older than her husband, whom she met while running a theatre workshop at his secondary school. She has three children from her first marriage, born in 1975, 1977 and 1984, and seven grandchildren.
Rumours about her gender first gained traction in France in 2021. She and her brother successfully sued two bloggers, Amandine Roy and Natacha Rey, for defamation, but an appeals court later ruled the case did not meet the legal definition. The siblings have since taken the matter to France’s highest court.
In the US case, the Macrons allege that Owens “disregarded all credible evidence disproving her claim in favour of platforming known conspiracy theorists and proven defamers”. Owens’s legal team has filed a motion to dismiss, arguing that Delaware, where her businesses are incorporated, is not the appropriate jurisdiction. Owens has maintained that she stands by her allegations.
