Fact Check: Brigitte Macron is a man

Fact Check: "Brigitte Macron is a man"

What We Know

The claim that Brigitte Macron, the First Lady of France, is a man and was born male has been widely circulated as part of a conspiracy theory. This rumor originated from a YouTube video posted by two women, Natacha Rey and Amandine Roy, who were later found guilty of slander for promoting these false claims. The court ruled against them in December 2021, ordering them to pay damages to Mrs. Macron and her brother for the unsubstantiated allegations that she was transgender and had undergone gender reassignment surgery (BBC, Le Monde).

Brigitte Macron has publicly denied these claims, and her legal team has taken action against those spreading the rumors. The allegations gained traction particularly during the lead-up to the 2022 French presidential election, being disseminated by far-right groups and conspiracy theorists, including followers of the QAnon movement (BBC, Euronews).

Analysis

The sources surrounding this claim indicate a clear consensus that the assertion is false. The legal actions taken by Brigitte Macron serve as a significant indicator of the baseless nature of the rumors. The court's decision to penalize the individuals spreading the claims highlights the seriousness of the misinformation and its potential impact on Mrs. Macron's reputation (BBC, Le Monde).

Moreover, reputable fact-checking organizations, such as Snopes, have thoroughly investigated the claims and concluded that there is no credible evidence supporting the assertion that Brigitte Macron is transgender or was born male (Snopes). The spread of this rumor has been characterized as a tactic used by far-right groups to undermine her and her husband's political standing, particularly in a charged electoral environment (France24, Factually).

The reliability of the sources promoting the claim is highly questionable. The individuals involved in its propagation have been identified as lacking journalistic integrity, with one being described as a "self-styled independent journalist" and the other as an "internet fortune-teller" (BBC). This raises concerns about the motivations behind their claims, suggesting they are more aligned with political agendas than factual reporting.

Conclusion

The claim that Brigitte Macron is a man is False. The assertion is based on unfounded conspiracy theories that have been legally challenged and debunked by multiple credible sources. The legal actions taken against those spreading the rumors further underscore their baseless nature, and the consensus among reputable fact-checkers confirms that there is no evidence to support the claim.