Europe 1 with AFP 5:38 p.m., February 18, 2022

For several months, messages have been swarming on social networks to claim that Brigitte Macron, born Trogneux, would in fact be a transgender woman whose birth name was Jean-Michel.

The First Lady has launched a civil and criminal action to obtain the convictions of two women at the origin of these rumors.

First Lady Brigitte Macron recently launched a civil action and a criminal action to obtain the convictions of two women who spread false news on the Internet claiming that she was a transgender woman.

Mrs. Macron's lawyer, Me Jean Ennochi, confirmed to AFP on Friday the information from M6 on this double legal action.

The first hearing set for June 15

On the civil side, a first hearing has been set for June 15 before the 17th chamber of the Paris court, a judicial source told AFP.

The civil action on the merits of Brigitte Macron is based on the basis of the provisions of the civil code relating to private life, indicated this source. 

The two women assigned by Brigitte Macron present themselves as a "medium" and an "independent journalist" who was one of the main relays of this false news.

They had posted on the YouTube channel of the "medium", on December 10, photos of the First Lady and her family.

A transgender woman, born Jean-Michel

The three children of Brigitte Macron as well as her brother Jean-Michel Trogneux joined this summons, in particular for acts of invasion of privacy, violation of personality rights, violation of image rights, according to the attorney.

Ms. Macron and her brother also filed a complaint with civil action at the end of January for "defamation", aiming to obtain this time a criminal trial in this case, said Me Ennochi.

Contacted, the Elysée did not respond.

For several months, messages have been swarming on social networks to claim that Brigitte Macron, born Trogneux, would in fact be a transgender woman whose birth name was Jean-Michel.

A vast conspiracy would be at work to hide this change in marital status, according to this false information which also declined in more serious accusations of pedocrime brought against the First Lady.

Infox with a transphobic character

This accusation, which initially circulated quietly, had a greater echo from mid-October when it was taken up in a far-right magazine, in an article signed by one of the two women targeted by the Mrs. Macron's legal actions.

This false information gained further popularity in December, as the presidential campaign began to stir.

This is not the first time that the Macron couple has been targeted by rumors intertwining gender and sexual orientation.

At the time of the 2017 presidential campaign, Emmanuel Macron had to deny allegations of his alleged homosexuality and a supposed affair with the former CEO of Radio France Mathieu Gallet.

Michelle Obama has already paid the price

Furthermore, transphobic fake news is not a new phenomenon.

Several women politicians have already paid the price, such as the former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama, the current American Vice-President Kamala Harris or the New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

Moreover, this is not the first time that a First Lady has gone to court.

In early 2019, Brigitte Macron had filed a complaint against an Ardennes who had posted a message, suspected of being a call for violence aimed at her, on the website of the regional daily L'Union.

The man had been released at first instance, but the Reims prosecutor's office had appealed.

Brigitte Macron's entourage also filed a complaint in March 2018 for identity theft after sending false e-mails in the name of her cabinet.

In this case, a man who had passed himself off as Brigitte Macron's nephew in order to obtain advantages and privileges from luxury establishments, companies or institutions, was sentenced to one year in prison at the end of October 2021 in Paris.

Other first ladies have also been sued, notably targeting celebrity magazines for invasion of privacy cases.

At the beginning of 2011, the ex-model Carla-Bruni Sarkozy had filed a complaint against a French newspaper which had posted on its website an extract from its Italian adaptation of "Douce France" by Charles Trenet, one of the most popular in the French directory.

She had also started a procedure in 2008 when a Reunionese company had put on sale a bag illustrated with her effigy.