Brigitte Macron, born on April 13, 1953 in Amiens, and Emmanuel Macron, born on December 21, 1977 in Amiens, have formed since 2007 one of the most scrutinized couples in the French Republic. Their story, which began in 1993 in a theater workshop at La Providence high school in Amiens when she was his teacher and he was 15 years old, has traversed thirty years of controversies, rumors, and attacks before establishing itself as one of the most solid love stories in French political life. Brigitte Macron’s age in 2026: 72 years. Emmanuel Macron’s age in 2026: 48 years. Age gap: 24 years. Their latest significant news: the cyberbullying trial (10 convictions, up to 6 months in prison, January 2026), the lawsuit against Candace Owens in the United States (July 2025), the viral video in Hanoi (May 2025), and the commitments of the First Lady against school bullying.
- Brigitte Macron: biography, family, origins
- Emmanuel Macron: career path, presidency
- How Brigitte and Emmanuel Macron met
- Their marriage and life as a couple at the Élysée
- Brigitte Macron, First Lady: role and commitments
- Controversies and rumors surrounding the couple
- The cyberbullying trial: transgender rumor and convictions 2026
- The lawsuit against Candace Owens in the United States
- News of the presidential couple in 2025 and 2026
Brigitte Macron: biography, family, origins
Brigitte Marie-Claude Trogneux was born on April 13, 1953 in Amiens, in the Pas-de-Calais. She is the youngest of six children of Simone (née Pujol) and Jean Trogneux, heirs of a family of chocolatiers settled in Amiens for several generations. The Jean Trogneux chocolaterie, founded in the 19th century, is now run by the fifth generation of the family. Brigitte grew up in a bourgeois environment, Catholic and well-established in the social life of Amiens.
After studying in Catholic institutions, she obtained a master’s degree in modern literature and a CAPES in modern literature. She began her teaching career in Paris, then in Strasbourg at Lucie-Berger college. In 1991, she joined La Providence high school in Amiens, where she taught French and Latin until 2007, before continuing at Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague high school in Paris until 2015, the year she stopped teaching to support her husband’s presidential campaign.
In June 1974, at the age of 21, she married banker André-Louis Auzière. The couple has three children: Sébastien (1975, engineer), Laurence (1977, cardiologist — who was in the same class as Emmanuel Macron in high school), and Tiphaine (1984, lawyer). The divorce from André-Louis Auzière was pronounced on January 26, 2006. He passed away on December 24, 2019, at Georges-Pompidou hospital in Paris.
Emmanuel Macron: career path, presidency
Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron was born on December 21, 1977 in Amiens. The son of Jean-Michel Macron, a neurology professor, and Françoise Noguès, a doctor, he is the eldest of three children. A brilliant student, he attended La Providence high school in Amiens, then Henri-IV high school in Paris where his parents sent him after their concern about his developing relationship with his teacher Brigitte Trogneux.
He attended Sciences Po Paris, then the National School of Administration (ENA), from which he graduated in the Léopold Sédar Senghor promotion (2004). He began his career as a financial inspector, before joining Rothschild Bank in 2008, where he became a managing partner. He was appointed Deputy Secretary General of the Élysée in 2012 under François Hollande, then Minister of Economy from 2014 to 2016. He founded the En Marche! movement (later La République En Marche, then Renaissance) in April 2016 and was elected President of the Republic on May 7, 2017 in the second round against Marine Le Pen, becoming at 39 the youngest president of the Fifth Republic. He was re-elected on April 24, 2022.
How Brigitte and Emmanuel Macron met
It all began in 1993 at La Providence high school in Amiens. Brigitte Trogneux, then 39 years old, teaches French and Latin. She also leads a theater workshop open to students. Emmanuel Macron, 15 years old, a sophomore, joins this workshop. The two work together to adapt a play by the Italian author Eduardo De Filippo, The Art of Comedy (1964). This artistic collaboration intensifies their relationship.
“In the end, love was stronger than anything, and I ended up divorcing. I couldn’t help it.” — Brigitte Macron.
Worried about this relationship between their minor son and a married woman 24 years his senior, Emmanuel Macron’s parents transferred him to Henri-IV high school in Paris to complete his baccalaureate. Before leaving, Emmanuel Macron tells her he will return and marry her. The relationship continues long-distance through regular correspondence. In 1994, André-Louis Auzière leaves the family home in Amiens. Brigitte’s divorce is only pronounced in January 2006.
Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Trogneux marry on October 20, 2007 in Touquet-Paris-Plage. At that date, he is 29 years old, and she is 54. The ceremony is simple and intimate.
Their marriage and life as a couple at the Élysée
The marriage of Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron, celebrated in 2007 in private, precedes their arrival at the Élysée by ten years. During these ten years, Brigitte continues to teach — first in Amiens, then at Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague high school in Paris — while Emmanuel Macron climbs the ranks of the civil service and the finance world.
Their arrival at the Élysée Palace in May 2017 disrupts the couple’s life. For the first time in the history of the Fifth Republic, a charter of transparency concerning the status of the spouse of the head of state was published in August 2017, defining Brigitte Macron’s role and the resources allocated to her without granting her an official legal status.
Brigitte Macron has never liked the title “First Lady.” In an interview with the magazine Elle in August 2017, she stated that she does not feel “first, last, or a lady” and asserts that she wants to remain “rooted in reality”. She emphasizes that the French elected Emmanuel, not her, while recognizing that the couple is a reality known to voters.
Brigitte Macron has offices at the Élysée and has a team of collaborators funded by the state. She regularly accompanies the president on his official trips in France and abroad. The couple is often photographed together at official events, displaying a clear companionship.
Brigitte Macron, First Lady: role and commitments
Upon her arrival at the Élysée, Brigitte Macron chose to build her agenda based on the letters sent by the French. Her main commitments are organized around three axes:
- The inclusion of people with disabilities: she advocates for access to education, employment, and social life for disabled individuals, and supports many associations in this field.
- The protection of children and the fight against school bullying: a central commitment, reinforced by her own experience as a target of cyberbullying since 2021. She is involved in awareness campaigns in schools and has spoken several times on the topic during television interviews.
- Support for hospitals and healthcare professionals: elected in June 2019 president of the Public Assistance–Hospitals of Paris Foundation, she is committed to improving patients’ reception conditions. Since 2023, she has been leading the Yellow Coin Gala, a charitable event benefiting hospitals for vulnerable populations.
In September 2018, she initiated the LIVE (The Institute of Vocations for Employment) project, a support program aimed at young adults over 25 who are neither employed nor in training.
Controversies and rumors surrounding the couple
The relationship between Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron sparked controversy from the beginning, due to the age gap of 24 years, Emmanuel Macron’s minor age at the start of their relationship, and the fact that Brigitte was then his teacher and a married woman with children. These elements have fueled a series of rumors and online attacks since the 2017 election.
The most persistent and serious is the transphobic conspiracy theory claiming that Brigitte Macron was born male under the name of her brother Jean-Michel Trogneux, and had changed identities. This misinformation — entirely false and denied by the Trogneux family — emerged as early as 2021 on French social media, amplified by a four-hour video posted by Amandine Roy (alias “medium Delphine J.”). It gained international resonance in 2023-2024 through American influencer Candace Owens, close to Trumpist circles, who dedicated a podcast titled Becoming Brigitte, accumulating millions of views.
In May 2025, another controversy arose when a video filmed in Hanoi (Vietnam) showed Brigitte Macron pushing her husband’s face on the steps of the presidential plane. The clip, captured by Associated Press cameras, went viral and triggered conflicting interpretations. The Élysée denied any incident, with Emmanuel Macron stating: “We bicker and joke around with my wife.”
In December 2025, a new controversy hit Brigitte Macron after the release of a video in which she referred to “dirty bitches” regarding feminist activists who interrupted the show of comedian Ary Abittan, accused of rape. The video, inadvertently released by Bestimage agency, sparked strong reactions, including from the Speaker of the National Assembly who deemed the remarks “indecent”.
The cyberbullying trial: transgender rumor and convictions in January 2026
On January 5, 2026, the criminal court of Paris rendered its judgment in the trial for transphobic cyberbullying against Brigitte Macron. All ten defendants were found guilty of aggravated moral harassment committed online.
The trial, held on October 27 and 28, 2025, included eight men and two women aged 41 to 65 from all over France: a Parisian art dealer, a local elected official, a teacher, a computer scientist, the medium “Amandine Roy,” the writer Aurélien Poirson-Atlan (alias “Zoé Sagan”), among others. They were prosecuted for having disseminated or relayed insults and rumors falsely claiming that Brigitte Macron is a transgender woman and a “child predator.”
The sentences handed down are as follows:
- Aurélien Poirson-Atlan (alias Zoé Sagan): 8 months suspended prison — considered the main instigator. His X account had been suspended in 2024 after several legal proceedings.
- Amandine Roy: 6 months suspended prison + suspension of her social media accounts for 6 months. Originator of a viral 4-hour video published in 2021, now removed.
- Bertrand Scholler (art dealer): 6 months suspended prison.
- The 7 other defendants: sentences of 4 to 8 months suspended prison.
- One defendant absent from the trial: 6 months in prison.
- All convicted: joint fine of 10,000 euros + sensitivity training to respect people in the digital space.
During the trial, Brigitte Macron’s younger daughter, Tiphaine Auzière, testified about the impact of these rumors on her mother’s life, describing “a real degradation of her living conditions” and a constant adaptation of her behaviors — including her choice of outfits and public posture — out of fear that her image would be distorted. Brigitte Macron herself stated to investigators that the rumor had had “a very strong impact” on her and her family, particularly her grandchildren.
“I fight all the time. I want to help teenagers fight against harassment. But if I don’t set an example, it’s going to be tough.” — Brigitte Macron, TF1 news, January 4, 2026.
One of the absent instigators from the trial is journalist Xavier Poussard, author of the bestseller Becoming Brigitte, whose case was separated because he resides in Milan. He is associated with Candace Owens in the international dissemination of the rumor. A separate legal proceeding is ongoing.
The lawsuit against Candace Owens in the United States
In July 2025, the presidential couple filed a defamation lawsuit with 22 counts in the Delaware courts against American influencer Candace Owens. Close to Trumpist circles, she is accused of having orchestrated a “defamation campaign” by spreading the transphobic rumor targeting Brigitte Macron for the sake of notoriety and monetization. Her podcast Becoming Brigitte, published in early 2025, accumulated millions of views and gave global echo to the fake news. Candace Owens is also known for denying climate change and the existence of dinosaurs.
The procedure in the United States is separate from the French trial and aims to obtain a conviction and damages before an American jurisdiction, in a different legal context regarding defamation.
News of the presidential couple in 2025 and 2026
State visit to London and Southeast Asia (Summer 2025)
In July 2025, the presidential couple made a state visit to the United Kingdom, notably to Westminster Abbey. In May 2025, during an official trip to Southeast Asia — including Hanoi — the video of Brigitte Macron and her husband on the steps of the presidential plane went viral, sparking a wave of speculation about the state of their marriage, immediately denied by the Élysée.
Beginning of 2026: discretion and solidarity
At the beginning of 2026, Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron chose a discreet start: a few days at the Fort of Brégançon in Var, followed by a return to Paris to celebrate New Year in an intimate setting, and discreet visits off the official agenda. A photo taken by the official Élysée photographer Soazig de la Moissonière, showing Brigitte embracing Emmanuel from behind, has circulated as a signal of solidarity for the couple in light of recent controversies.
Brigitte Macron and the Yellow Coins 2026
Brigitte Macron remains heavily involved in the Yellow Coin initiative, which she has led since 2023. In January 2026, she participated in a surprise outing to Disneyland Paris as part of this charitable initiative for hospitalized children.
FAQ
What are the ages of Brigitte Macron and her husband Emmanuel Macron?
Brigitte Macron was born on April 13, 1953: she is 72 years old in 2026. Emmanuel Macron was born on December 21, 1977: he is 48 years old in 2026. Their age gap is 24 years.
How did Brigitte and Emmanuel Macron meet?
They met in 1993 at La Providence high school in Amiens, during a theater workshop she led as a French teacher. He was 15 years old, she was 39 and married with three children. They married in October 2007 in Touquet after Brigitte’s divorce was finalized in January 2006.
What was the outcome of the cyberbullying trial of Brigitte Macron?
On January 5, 2026, the Paris criminal court convicted the ten defendants for aggravated moral harassment online. The sentences ranged from 4 to 8 months of suspended prison for most, and 6 months of actual prison for one defendant who was absent from the trial. All were ordered to pay a joint fine of €10,000 and undergo training for respecting individuals in the digital space.
Is the rumor that Brigitte Macron is transgender true?
No. It is a completely unfounded fake news. This conspiracy rumor, launched in France as early as 2021 and amplified internationally by American influencer Candace Owens in 2024-2025, has been subject to several legal proceedings. In January 2026, ten individuals were convicted by the Paris criminal court for transphobic cyberharassment in this matter. The Macron couple also filed a defamation lawsuit in the United States against Candace Owens.
What is Brigitte Macron’s real first name and last name?
Her name is Brigitte Marie-Claude Macron, born Trogneux. Her maiden name is Trogneux. She took her first husband’s name, Auzière, after her marriage in 1974, before taking the name Macron after marrying Emmanuel Macron in 2007.
Does Brigitte Macron receive a salary as First Lady?
Brigitte Macron does not receive a salary as First Lady. She does not have an official legal status. However, since the publication of the transparency charter in August 2017, she has had staff funded by the state and offices at the Élysée to carry out her representation duties and associative commitments.
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