Has emmanuel macron faced gender-based political attacks
Executive summary
Yes. Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte have been targets of sustained gender-based attacks and conspiracy theories — notably claims that Brigitte Macron was “born a man” that circulated from about 2017 and escalated into court cases, an international defamation suit and criminal inquiries [1] [2] [3]. French courts have alternately convicted, acquitted on appeal, and left unresolved legal claims tied to those rumours, while the couple has pursued litigation in France and the United States [1] [3] [2].
1. A long-running conspiracy turned political weapon
The allegation that Brigitte Macron was assigned male at birth began circulating online around Emmanuel Macron’s 2017 rise and was amplified by far-right, conspiracist and international actors; those claims framed the first lady as a fake and sought to undermine the president by attacking his family and masculinity by proxy [4] [1].
2. Courts, reversals and limits of rulings
Lower French courts initially found some defendants guilty of libel for spreading the gender rumours and ordered damages, but the Paris Court of Appeal overturned convictions in July 2025 on the grounds that defendants had acted in “good faith,” a ruling that acquitted them of defamation without deciding the truth of the gender claims [1] [5] [3].
3. Macron’s legal strategy: domestic and international
The Macrons pursued criminal and civil routes in France — including a complaint that led to investigations and trials for sexist cyber-harassment — and in July 2025 filed a defamation lawsuit in the United States against influencer Candace Owens, alleging amplification of the same transphobic rumours [6] [2] [7].
4. Political motive and wider context flagged by analysts
Experts and analysts quoted in reporting say the attacks fit a broader pattern: powerful women who break gender norms attract conspiracies that are transphobic and sometimes racialized; researchers describe a “perfect storm” of global anti-trans attacks, a rise in conspiracy theory culture and efforts to destabilise political figures [8] [4].
5. Media silence and amplification both blamed
Journalists and analysts attribute spread both to pockets of mainstream silence early on and to amplification by conspiracist networks and influencers abroad; some reporting argues the disinformation campaign aimed to “destabilise” Macron politically as well as personally [4] [7].
6. Legal outcomes do not equate to factual adjudication
The appellate acquittal in July 2025 removed criminal liability for the defendants in France on free-expression grounds but did not rule on the factual question of Brigitte Macron’s gender; Reuters and other outlets note the court’s decision focused on defamation law and freedom of expression rather than verifying identity claims [5] [1].
7. Personal and political toll highlighted by the Macrons’ lawyers
The Macrons’ legal team and Emmanuel Macron himself have framed the campaign as personally damaging and distracting to the presidency; their lawyers say the attacks have been “incredibly upsetting” for Brigitte Macron and have compelled the couple to gather photographic and scientific evidence in international litigation [9] [10].
8. Two competing framings in public debate
One framing treats the rumours as misogynistic, transphobic disinformation weaponized to humiliate a prominent woman and destabilise a head of state [4] [8]. The other — reflected in some appellate reasoning and free-speech advocates — prioritises freedom of expression and judged that, in that instance, defendants had acted in “good faith,” producing legal controversy about how to balance reputation and speech [1] [5].
9. What the reporting does not settle
Available sources do not mention any court or credible independent body establishing the truth of the gender claims; the appellate rulings and reporting repeatedly state courts did not adjudicate Brigitte Macron’s gender itself [5] [1]. Available sources do not mention evidence introduced publicly that definitively resolves the underlying factual allegation beyond the parties’ denials and legal filings [10].
10. Why this matters beyond one couple
Journalists and researchers cited in the coverage frame the attacks as symptomatic of contemporary online political warfare: gendered conspiracies aimed at public figures can cross borders, mutate into mass harassment, test libel laws and reshape political debate — a dynamic the Macrons are litigating in both French and U.S. courts [4] [2] [7].
Limitations: this analysis is confined to the supplied reporting; it cites court decisions, legal actions and expert commentary contained in those sources and does not draw on reporting outside this set [1] [2] [8].