The statement made by prominent conservative commentator Candace Owens that Brigitte Macron, the spouse of French President Emmanuel Macron, was born a man has generated controversy throughout her career. This audacious assertion was made on her podcast and on the social networking site X, which was once known as Twitter. According to Owens’ idea, Brigitte Macron, a 70-year-old woman, was born Jean-Michel Trogneux and underwent a gender transformation at the age of thirty. In addition, she asserts that Brigitte Macron never existed and that her first husband—a supposed retired banker who passed away in 2020—was not the biological mother of any of her three children.
After Emmanuel Macron’s election in 2017, the far-right journal Faits et Documents (Facts & Documents) published an unfounded assertion that gave rise to this idea. After Emmanuel Macron’s stepdaughter Tiphaine Auzière addressed gender-related rumors in an interview with Paris Match, there was a fresh focus on the speculative discussion.
Owens has criticized those who rule out the possibility as establishment apologists and urged media to look into this “explosive story” more. She has examined Brigitte Macron’s family photos and asserted that there is a striking likeness between Brigitte Macron and her brother, Jean-Michel Trogneux, in order to bolster her theory. According to Owens, Brigitte Macron’s claims are more credible because there aren’t any publicly available images of her from the first thirty years of her life.
President Macron responded to the controversy during an event honoring International Women’s Day. He denounced the propagation of misinformation and made-up situations. He brought attention to the transgender allegations about his wife and other nasty online insults that women encounter on a regular basis.
Though they claimed to have been intimidated by officials, the claims regarding Brigitte Macron have been extensively refuted, and the two ladies who first spread the story were punished. Even if the matter has been resolved, there are still suspicions circulating, especially among far-right organizations and people who disagree with the Macron government.
Many people have criticized and debated Candace Owens’ position on this issue, criticizing her accusations as detrimental and unfounded. The case emphasizes how difficult it is to dispel false information and how unfounded notions affect public figures and their families.