The baseless conspiracy theories about Brigitte Macron‘s gender have taken a negative toll on the French first lady, with her daughter Tiphaine Auzière revealing that her health has now “deteriorated.”
Auzière stated that the intensity of the attacks led Brigitte to change “her postures” and “her outfits,” as she decries how her mom is “constantly under attack.”
Brigitte Macron has since filed a defamation lawsuit against conservative podcaster Candace Owens, who has largely shared similar claims about her to her listeners.
Brigitte Macron Changed Her Looks Because Of The Attacks
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Brigitte Macron has been forced to alter a thing or two about herself because of the damaging conspiracy theories suggesting she’s a man.
The revelation was made by her daughter, Tiphaine Auzière, during a trial on Tuesday for 10 suspects accused of spreading malicious rumors about the French first lady.
In fact, it has also impacted her health, which Auzière said had “deteriorated” since the time it first started spreading.
“She knows that her image could be taken and distorted,” Auzière said during the court session, adding that her mom is always too careful about “her postures” and “her outfits” since the online chatter began, French outlet Ouest France reports.
“She cannot ignore the horrors being said,” Auzière said, adding that her mom “is constantly under attack,” and her grandchildren are now aware of the malicious rumor.
The First Lady Of France Was Accused Of Being Male
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The false conspiracy, which has been widely circulated on social media, suggests that Brigitte was born male under the name “Jean-Michel Trogneux,” and then underwent gender reassignment before linking up with French president Emmanuel Macron.
But then, in reality, it’s a different case: Trogneux truly exists, but is Brigitte’s reclusive older brother, whom Auzière said she’d recently seen.
Speaking at the trial, Auzière, who’s the daughter of Brigitte and her first husband André-Louis Auzière, said that “it was important to be here today to express the prejudice,” and that she wanted to “report what her life has been like since she suffered this hatred.”
Brigitte shares two other children with her ex-husband, in addition to the several grandchildren she has.
Defendants Slam Brigitte Macron’s Relationship With Emmanuel Macron
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French President Emmanuel Macron has been with Brigitte for nearly 20 years after they tied the knot in 2007, one year after she divorced her ex-husband.
Their relationship has raised eyebrows as she’s 25 years older than him and was once his school teacher at Le Providence, a Catholic school in northern France.
At the time, the politician was 15 years old, while Brigitte was 39, yet he quickly developed feelings for her.
According to the New York Post, the 10 defendants who are currently facing trial for the virulent claims have described the age gap between the first couple as “pedophilia,” noting how young Emmanuel was when they first met.
The suspects face up to two years in prison for spreading “numerous malicious comments” online about Brigitte.
The Macron Family Hopes To Win The Case For The First Lady
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Meanwhile, Brigitte is not expected to attend the court session, as her family is doing all it can to get justice for her.
Despite being in love with the President, she still struggles with some aspects of their romance, telling France’s RTL radio station that having an age gap between them has been difficult.
“We are not a model couple,” Brigitte said, per People Magazine. “Of course, we are not the ideal couple. Being a couple is complicated, it’s an everyday struggle (…) When you have a big age difference, it can be even more complicated.”
She added, however, that she doesn’t feel the term “cougar” applies to her and that it’s offensive.
“What is this word? It doesn’t describe anything!” she said. “I have always been attracted to men of my age. Except Emmanuel Macron, who was the exception.”
Emmanuel Macron Praised Brigitte As His ‘Anchor’
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The French first citizen has previously praised her for being his “anchor,” helping him to stay grounded and keep things focused.
“For me, it’s very important for my personal balance to have somebody at home telling you the truth every day,” he told CNN.
He continued, “Access to truth is one of the main challenges. Somebody with her deep convictions and knowing you for what you are and loving you for what you are — not for what you represent or your role or your honors … That is very important to me. That is my anchor.”
