Brigitte Macron has said her time as first lady of France has made her more cynical, describing the role as exposing her to the “darkness of the world, the stupidity, the wickedness”. In an interview with French newspaper La Tribune Dimanche, the 73-year-old former teacher admitted she is “sometimes sadder than I have ever been” as a result of public life.
Ms Macron has faced persistent online attacks and conspiracy theories during her husband’s two-term presidency, including false claims about her gender and sexuality. In March, ten people were found guilty of cyber-bullying her over remarks about the 24-year age gap between her and President Emmanuel Macron, 48, and baseless allegations she was born a man.
The couple is also pursuing a defamation lawsuit against American influencer Candace Owens, who promoted claims that Ms Macron was born Jean-Michel Trogneux, the name of her older brother. A complaint filed last July accuses Owens of a “campaign of global humiliation, turning their lives into fodder for profit-driven lies”. The case seeks unspecified damages.
Reflecting on the decade in the public eye, Ms Macron told the outlet: “Before, I had a normal life … Here, these ten years have passed so quickly … They have been so intense.” She added that she now has “moments of pessimism that I didn’t have before”.
Despite the challenges, Ms Macron has used her platform to support people with disabilities, protect vulnerable children and campaign against school bullying. She has also faced controversy, including a video that appeared to show her slapping her husband during an official visit to Vietnam last year, which Mr Macron dismissed as “bickering, or rather joking”.
