Brigitte Macron awarded €8,000 in damages over false trans claims

Two women posted YouTube video in 2021 falsely claiming French president's wife was previously a man, prompting her to file libel complaint

A court has ordered two women to pay 8,000 in damages to France's first lady, Brigitte Macron, after making false claims she was transgender, sparking online rumour-mongering by conspiracy theorists and the far right.

The women had posted a YouTube video in December 2021 alleging the French president's wife had once been a man named Jean-Michel, an untruth that went viral just weeks before the 2022 presidential election and prompted Brigitte Macron to file a libel complaint.