The Complexities of Becoming Brigitte
Subheadline: What begins as fringe gossip becomes an international lawsuit, raising deeper questions about gender, power, and the politics of rumour.
By 3 Narratives News | August 6, 2025
Introduction
On an August morning in 2025, France’s First Lady finds herself entangled in one of the most controversial lawsuits of the year. At the heart of the dispute: a viral podcast alleging that Brigitte Macron was born male, lived secretly as her brother, and groomed Emmanuel Macron when he was 15. The allegations, now the subject of a U.S. defamation case, represent far more than a tabloid headline. They expose the growing influence of conspiracy culture and its weaponization of gender identity in the digital age.
Context: The Origins of a Global Rumour
The rumour’s roots trace back to 2021, during a politically fragile time in France. A viral video emerged online, claiming Brigitte Macron was her brother, Jean-Michel Trogneux. French far-right websites seized the narrative. A small magazine called Faits et Documents published a dossier with manipulated photos, alleging a secret identity and a hidden relationship.
Though debunked in mainstream media, the story resurfaced in 2025 when American commentator Candace Owens featured the allegations in her viral podcast series, Becoming Brigitte.
And now, the world watches as the Macrons take legal action in Delaware Superior Court, aiming to stop the spread of falsehoods they call “devastating and humiliating.”
Narrative 1: The Conspiracist Angle (Side A)
Candace Owens, a prominent media figure with a history of courting controversy, stands firm in her position. In Becoming Brigitte, she asserts that Brigitte Macron is not a biological woman, was once Jean-Michel Trogneux, and entered a relationship with Emmanuel Macron while he was a teenager.
She frames her investigation as a First Amendment issue—“journalism in the face of global censorship.” In public appearances, she claims to be exposing the truth that the “elites” don’t want told. Her X (Twitter) feed remains defiant: “I would stake my entire career on this claim.”
Owens also claims that former President Donald Trump personally asked her to drop the matter, allegedly on Macron’s request, stating that Brigitte “looked like a woman” to him. Owens says she refused out of principle.
Her followers have responded in kind, circulating altered images, TikTok breakdowns of Brigitte’s body language, and hashtags like #JeanMichelIsReal. She even sells T-shirts mocking Macron with slogans like “Time’s Man of the Year.”
In this narrative, Brigitte Macron becomes a symbol, not just of alleged deception, but of the right’s culture war against political correctness and identity discourse.
Narrative 2: The Legal and Factual Counterpoint (Side B)
But the Macrons are fighting back. In July 2025, they filed a sweeping 218-page defamation lawsuit in the U.S. court system. Their claim: Owens acted with “actual malice” by publishing known falsehoods.
The legal bar is high. In the U.S., public figures must prove that defamatory statements were made knowingly or recklessly. The Macrons argue Owens meets that standard. They provide birth certificates, family records, and numerous public appearances by Brigitte’s real brother, Jean-Michel Trogneux—alive, well, and very much not Brigitte.
This is not their first court battle. In 2022, Brigitte sued two French women for defamation and initially won. That ruling was overturned on appeal in 2024, leading the couple to pursue justice on American soil, where Owens is based and where her podcast was produced.
Legal experts say the case is one of the most consequential defamation suits of the decade, touching on global speech laws, digital platforms’ responsibilities, and the line between opinion and libel.
“This lawsuit is about more than reputational damage,” said international law scholar Amira Leblanc. “It’s about stopping the normalization of weaponized disinformation.”
Narrative 3: The Silent Story—Gender, Power, and Weaponized Identity
Beyond the legal and conspiratorial drama lies a quieter truth—how transphobia, misogyny, and digital manipulation converge to undermine women in power.
The idea that Brigitte Macron is transgender is not new, nor is it unique. A growing online movement called “transvestigation” targets famous women with body-shaming and pseudo-forensic videos. Former First Lady Michelle Obama, singer Taylor Swift, and New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern have all been accused of secretly being men.
This tactic serves a dual purpose: it discredits the individual and exploits anti-LGBTQ+ bias for engagement. In Brigitte’s case, the story is further charged by her relationship with Emmanuel Macron, whom she met when he was 15 years old.
Though their relationship has long been public and legal under French law, the age difference and student-teacher dynamic make it an easy target for moral outrage, especially in online forums.
Meanwhile, the LGBTQ+ community, which has fought for decades for recognition and equality, finds itself used as rhetorical cannon fodder. Their identities, once ignored, are now being repackaged as clickbait in a new culture war.
“It’s deeply offensive—not just to Brigitte Macron, but to anyone whose gender has been questioned for sport,” said LGBTQ+ advocate Léo Marchand. “This isn’t about the truth. It’s about humiliation.”
Key Takeaways
- The Brigitte Macron rumour began in 2021, resurfaced in 2025 via Owens’ podcast Becoming Brigitte.
- Owens maintains the claims, positioning herself as a free-speech defender despite mounting legal risks.
- The Macrons filed a defamation suit in July 2025, seeking justice and setting a legal precedent for international defamation in the digital age.
- The conspiracy is rooted in transphobia, and similar tactics have been used to discredit other high-profile women.
- The real story may be the silence—how digital conspiracies exploit marginalized identities and sow distrust in public institutions.
Questions This Article Answers
- Who started the rumour that Brigitte Macron is a man?
- What evidence supports or refutes the claim?
- What legal action have the Macrons taken?
- What is “transvestigation” and why is it harmful?
- How does this case reflect broader cultural battles over truth, identity, and digital speech?
Context: Why This Story Matters Now
The rumour’s origin dates back to 2021, when France was still reeling from the political fallout of the Yellow Vest movement and the COVID-19 pandemic. A viral video began circulating, suggesting that Brigitte Macron had assumed her female identity after living as her brother, Jean-Michel. Though lacking evidence, the theory spread quickly across social platforms and conspiratorial Telegram groups.
Fast forward to August 2025, and this story is no longer confined to the digital margins. It has entered U.S. courts. It has pitted freedom of speech against reputational harm. It has touched a nerve on identity, gender, and misinformation in a volatile political age.
For the Macrons, this is personal and public. For Owens, it’s political theatre and a hill she seems willing to die on.
