Image of young man has been edited to add Brigitte Macron’s face

An altered picture of a young male model is being shared alongside an image of the First Lady of France, Brigitte Macron, falsely implying it shows Mrs Macron as a young man. 

The pictures are being shared on social media with captions such as “the French Government haven’t denied the rumours, I wonder why that is”. They refer to baseless claims that have been circulating for years, which suggest Mrs Macron was born male under the name Jean-Michel Trogneux.

In September 2024, two women who falsely claimed Mrs Macron was transgender were found guilty of slander.

Full Fact traced the original unedited image of the young male model and found it was taken in 2009, and clearly shows a different face, which bears no resemblance to Mrs Macron’s. The original also does not feature a tattoo on the man’s chest. 

The photographer told Reuters, when it debunked the image last year, that the picture does not show Brigitte Macron.

The image of Mrs Macron on the right is real, however, and was taken at the Louvre Museum in Paris in June 2023. 

False or misleading claims online have the potential to harm individuals, groups and democratic processes and institutions. Online claims can spread fast and far, and are difficult to contain and correct.