Women who falsely claimed Brigitte Macron is transgender go on trial in France

[sl8]

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240619-france-tries-suspects-over-false-brigitte-macron-transgender-claim

Women who falsely claimed Brigitte Macron is transgender go on trial in France

Two women went on trial on Wednesday over false claims that France's first lady Brigitte Macron was transgender, which sparked online rumour-mongering by conspiracy theorists and the far right.

Issued on: 20/06/2024 - 00:21
Modified: 20/06/2024 - 00:19

2 min

By: NEWS WIRES

In 2022, Brigitte Macron filed a complaint for libel against two women who posted a YouTube video in December 2021 alleging she had once been a man named "Jean-Michel".

The claim went viral just weeks before the 2022 presidential election.

The trial on defamation charges comes amid a frenetic campaign for snap legislative polls called by President Emmanuel Macron after the far right trounced his party in EU parliament elections.

Amandine Roy, a self-proclaimed spiritual medium, appeared in court in Paris on Wednesday to answer questions about the interview she conducted with Natacha Rey, an independent journalist who did not turn up citing illness.

[...]

[GreenWave]

1. Seems like a type of lawsuit I had never heard of before..

[marybourg]

4. Defamation lawsuits can be brought in the US and

many are, but when you have put yourself willingly into the public eye, it doesn’t seem right to Americans to prevent others from talking about you. DU would be a very different animal with the threat of defamation suits from politicians hanging over us if we said something not the absolute literal truth.

[bucolic_frolic]

2. Oh, where are the USA First Amendment screamers on this subject?

See, in civilized society, lies have consequences.

[marybourg]

3. And in that society do you think that truth- tellers

are never harassed by being threatened with, or actually brought to, court by those with bigger pockets and bigger egos?