France's Emmanuel Macron responds to rumours claiming his wife was born a man

French President Emmanuel Macron has recently responded to rumours claiming that his wife, Brigitte, was "born a man", calling them "false and fabricated", The Sun reported.

Brigette was Macron's French literature teacher and a mother of three when he began dating her at the age of 15.

The French politician, 47, said that the transgender claims about France’s first lady, 70, whom he married in 2007, typified misogynistic online attacks on women.

Macron, while speaking on International Women’s Day on Friday, said: "The worst thing is the false information and fabricated scenarios. People eventually believe them."

According to The Sun, two women who claimed Macron's wife was born male were punished with "symbolic fines". However, these fines were lowered following an appeal in June last year.

Witnesses called to court included Brigitte’s uncle Jean-Louis Auzière who told the court: "I worked with Brigitte until the end of the 1980s, I can confirm to you that she is not a man."

In 2022, the transphobic rumours about Macron's wife were circulating during his re-election campaign, and were revived when Brigitte’s daughter, Tiphaine Auzière, publicly discussed them for the first time.

Tiphaine, 40, told Paris Match magazine: "I have concerns about the level of society when I hear what is circulating on social networks about my mother being a man."