Overview

• On July 10, 2025, the Paris Court of Appeal overturned the 2024 defamation convictions of Natacha Rey and Amandine Roy, acquitting them of spreading a viral rumor that Brigitte Macron is transgender.
• Judges ruled that the 18 passages cited by the first lady’s legal team did not constitute defamation or were covered by good-faith protections under French law.
• The original accusations stemmed from a four-hour YouTube video released in 2021 alleging that Brigitte Macron was actually her brother Jean-Michel Trogneux after gender transition.
• Brigitte Macron has announced plans to appeal the appellate ruling to the Court of Cassation as her separate cyberharassment lawsuit against around ten individuals proceeds.
• The case highlights enduring challenges in combating disinformation and online political harassment, as the transphobic rumor has circulated since Emmanuel Macron’s 2017 election and reached far-right networks in France and the United States.