Court Rules Against Women Who Spread False Claims About Brigitte Macron
In a notable court decision on September 12, 2024, two women were found guilty of defamation for their roles in spreading false claims about Brigitte Macron, the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron. This case highlights the serious legal repercussions of disseminating false and damaging information, particularly when it involves public figures.
The women, Amandine Roy and Natacha Rey, were sentenced by the Paris Correctional Court for their involvement in a scandalous online campaign that falsely portrayed Brigitte Macron as a transgender woman. This misinformation, which gained traction on the internet and spread internationally, alleged that Brigitte Macron was not born as a woman but as a man named Jean-Michel Trogneux, who supposedly assumed a female identity.
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The court ordered Roy and Rey to pay €8,000 in damages to Brigitte Macron and an additional €5,000 to her brother, Jean-Michel Trogneux. Along with these financial penalties, the defendants received a suspended fine of €500. This verdict came after a trial held in June, although neither Brigitte Macron nor her brother were present during the proceedings or the verdict announcement.
Brigitte Macron had initially filed a complaint for public defamation on January 31, 2022, prompting the legal action against Roy and Rey. The allegations against them stemmed from a lengthy YouTube interview in which they discussed and promoted these unfounded claims. They featured the video as part of their platform, where they discussed alleged surgeries and fabricated details about Brigitte Macron's life and her family.
Despite the court ruling in favor of Macron, Roy's legal representative has announced plans to appeal the decision, arguing that the verdict violated press freedom laws and contending that only a fraction of the contested statements should have been deemed defamatory.
The case underscores a troubling trend where misinformation and conspiracy theories, especially those with a transphobic angle, gain traction online. Such falsehoods have increasingly targeted public figures globally, as seen with similar cases involving figures like Michelle Obama and Kamala Harris. President Macron himself has previously condemned these types of false narratives, emphasizing the damage they can inflict on individuals and public discourse.
As misinformation continues to proliferate, this case serves as a significant reminder of the legal boundaries regarding false claims and the potential consequences of spreading harmful and baseless rumors.
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