Since 2021, a rumor as grotesque as it is persistent has circulated: Brigitte Macron was supposedly born a man, under the identity of Jean-Michel Trogneux. This baseless theory, which went viral on social media, resurfaced this week, spurred by an interview given to the magazine Society by Xavier Poussard, a leading figure in the French conspiracy sphere.
The character, who remained discreet for a long time, now claims his role in spreading this unfounded rumor. In a narrative that oscillates between confused justification and overt defiance, Poussard presents himself as a challenger to the “official truth,” yet fails to provide any conclusive proof.
The widely commented interview illustrates a now-familiar drift: the transformation of false information into a media phenomenon, fueled by algorithms, hashtags, and outrage.
The rumor began in 2021 on Facebook, propagated by two women convinced they had uncovered a “state secret.” Very quickly, the hashtag #JeanMichelTrogneux flooded X (formerly Twitter).
On November 1st of the same year, it went viral, reaching tens of thousands of shares. Behind this digital staging, a well-oiled machine: unsubstantiated allegations, confusion between facts and beliefs, and an easy target, the First Lady.
In response to the frenzy, Brigitte Macron took action. In February 2022, she filed a lawsuit alongside her family. The goal: to put an end to defamation that goes beyond a personal affront to flirt with the crudest transphobia.
President Emmanuel Macron publicly denounced this offensive. “They have caramel for brains,” he said, visibly exasperated, during the enshrining of abortion rights in the Constitution.
The trial of the two women who originated the posts took place on June 18, 2024, before the Paris Correctional Court. Judged for complicity in public defamation, they were sentenced to a 500-euro fine with suspension and ordered to pay 13,000 euros in damages to the Macron family, including 5,000 euros to Brigitte Macron’s brother, Jean-Michel Trogneux, the very person they claimed to see in her.
Social Networks and the Assault on Dignity
Behind this digital saga lies an entire era. An era where the anonymity of networks, the erosion of factual landmarks, and uncontrolled virality create fertile ground for the most outlandish tales. And where the assault on dignity often hides behind the trappings of free speech.
The Trogneux affair, absurd though it may be, reveals a far less humorous reality: a climate of suspicion maintained by a segment of the web, quick to replace opinion with fact, and fiction with investigation.