Two women who claimed that Brigitte Macron was born a man have been cleared of defamation after a French appeals court ruled their statements fell under free speech protections.

The conspiracy theory, pushed by Natacha Rey, a self-described journalist, and Amandine Roy, a clairvoyant, gained traction among American conspiracy circles.

Brigitte Macron and her brother, Jean-Michel Trogneux, filed charges against the women last year. In September, a court found Rey and Roy guilty of defamation, ordering them to pay €8,000 to Mrs Macron and €5,000 to her brother.

However, on Thursday, July 10, the Paris court of appeal overturned the conviction. It ruled that the 18 video segments highlighted by Mrs Macron’s lawyers did not meet the standard for defamation and were instead protected by principles of “good faith” and free expression.
The court did not comment on the truth of the claims .

In a four-hour YouTube video posted in 2021, Rey and Roy described Mrs Macron as a “swindle,” “deception,” and “state lie,” sharing photos of her and her family.

Jean Ennochi, lawyer for Mrs Macron, expressed disappointment with the ruling. “I will discuss with my clients, but obviously we do not agree,” he said.

Lawyers for the defendants celebrated the decision. “We’re acquitted,” said Maud Marian, representing Ms Roy. François Danglehant, lawyer for Ms Rey, added, “Natacha Rey was hunted, persecuted, condemned — but ultimately acquitted.”

Baseless rumors about Mrs Macron’s gender have circulated on French social media since 2017. They resurfaced this year when American far-right commentator Candace Owens promoted them in a video titled “Becoming Brigitte: An Introduction,” saying, “When I said I would stake my entire professional career on the fact that Brigitte Macron was born a man, of course many people did not believe me because it sounds crazy.”

The ruling is a setback for Mrs Macron, who launched legal action in 2021 to challenge the persistent