France’s first lady Brigitte Macron discovered her personal tax records had been compromised by hackers who changed her legal name to include a male identity, according to her chief of staff.
The 72-year-old’s tax account was altered to read “Jean-Michel, known as Brigitte Macron,” Tristan Bromet, Mrs. Macron’s chief of staff, revealed to French news channel BFMTV.
The incident represents an escalation in ongoing attacks against the first lady based on gender conspiracy theories.
American influencer Candace Owens later amplified these allegations to her millions of social media followers.
Mrs. Macron was shocked upon discovering the unauthorized changes to her legal name in her personal tax account, according to Mr. Bromet.
The first lady has filed a formal complaint with authorities following the breach.
Two individuals involved in the hacking incident have been identified by investigators.
The case adds to mounting legal actions taken by the Macron family against those spreading claims that have not yet been proven about the first lady’s gender identity.
The hacking incident coincides with a criminal trial beginning today in Paris where 10 people face charges of sexist cyber-harassment against Mrs. Macron.
The defendants include eight men and two women, all ranging in age from 41 to 60 years old.
If convicted, the defendants could face up to two years in prison.
They stand accused of making numerous malicious comments targeting the first lady’s gender and sexuality through online platforms, the Daily Mail reported.
The claims about Mrs. Macron’s gender have circulated online for years, with trolls incorrectly asserting her real name is Jean-Michel Trogneux.
Jean-Michel Trogneux is actually the name of Mrs. Macron’s older brother.
The conspiracy theory gained significant traction after French bloggers Amandine Roy and Natacha Rey promoted the allegations in a 2021 YouTube video.
The video spread widely online and attracted an international audience to the false claims.
In March 2024, Owens publicly announced she was “waging her entire professional reputation” on the theory that Mrs. Macron was born Jean-Michel Trogneux before transitioning at age 30.
The Macrons filed a defamation lawsuit against Owens in the United States in response to what they described as propagating “outlandish, defamatory, and far-fetched fictions.”
The 218-page lawsuit was filed in Delaware on July 23, seeking both compensatory and punitive damages of an unspecified amount.
In their statement, Mr. and Mrs. Macron accused Owens of fueling a “campaign of global humiliation” and “relentless bullying” against them.
They said Owens’ actions were designed to harass and cause pain to their families while garnering attention and notoriety.
Owens claimed her allegations were based on what she called a “thorough investigation” by French blogger Natacha Rey.
The political commentator has publicly repeated the claims on her channels despite requests from the Macrons’ attorneys for a retraction.
The Macrons stated they gave Owens “every opportunity to back away from these claims, but she refused.”
They said referring the matter to court was “the only remaining avenue for remedy” after Owens systematically reaffirmed the falsehoods in response to repeated requests for a retraction.
The French couple previously won a defamation case against bloggers Roy and Rey in 2024. However, that ruling was overturned on appeal this year on freedom of expression grounds, and the Macrons are currently appealing that decision.
The Macrons expressed hope their lawsuit against Owens would “set the record straight and end this campaign of defamation once and for all.”
The couple emphasized the personal toll the allegations have taken on them and their families.
