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PARIS — Two women were found guilty of libel on Thursday and ordered to pay thousands of euros in damages after spreading a fake transphobic rumor that French first lady Brigitte Macron was born a man and is living as a transgender woman.
The duo, a self-described independent journalist and the host of a YouTube channel, alleged without proof in a 2021 video posted to the platform that Macron had been born as Jean-Michel Trogneux and had later changed her name and gender. Trogneux, who is actually Macron’s brother, participated in the trial.
The false claims were spread well beyond France, amplified by conspiracy theorists and far-right internet figures such as U.S. conservative commentator Candace Owens.