The release of Todd Haynes' film May December, alongside a rare magazine interview with Brigitte Macron, has reignited discussion about relationships between older women and adolescent boys. The film is based on a true story of a woman who began a relationship with her husband when she was 34 and he 12, while Emmanuel Macron was 15 when he was seduced by his drama teacher Brigitte, then 40.
Joe Gibson, writing under a pseudonym, shares his experience as a victim of such a relationship, which was legal at the time. He argues that teenage boys, despite their confidence and risk-taking tendencies, are still children and easy prey due to their undeveloped minds. Gibson notes that since 2001, any sexual relationship between a teacher and a pupil under 18 in the UK has been illegal.
Gibson contrasts the portrayal of older woman-younger boy relationships in popular culture with those of older men and adolescent girls. He cites Zoë Heller's Notes on a Scandal and the TV series A Teacher as examples that explore the manipulation and lifelong impact on the boy, though he criticises the latter for its rushed ending.
The Macrons remain an exception, having stayed together and married a decade after their relationship began. However, Gibson questions whether the power imbalance can ever be fully resolved, stating: 'We will never really know what happened there.'
