Overview
- Eight men and two women are being tried in a Paris criminal court over allegedly posting malicious claims about the French first lady’s gender and sexuality, with a potential penalty of up to two years in prison.
- The case centers on a false theory that Brigitte Macron was born male as “Jean-Michel Trogneux,” which proliferated online after a 2021 YouTube video and spread through conspiracy networks.
- The two-day hearing began after Brigitte Macron’s August 2024 complaint prompted investigations and arrests in December 2024 and February 2025, and a verdict is expected at a later date.
- Defendants include publicist Aurélien Poirson-Atlan, known online as “Zoé Sagan,” and Delphine J., known as “Amandine Roy,” who are linked to prior legal actions; all deny wrongdoing.
- A separate Delaware lawsuit filed in July accuses U.S. commentator Candace Owens of defamation over her amplification of the claims, with a jurisdiction challenge pending following a September motion to dismiss.