
BRIGITTEGATE
COURT CASES
THE FIRST CASE
Brigitte starts attacking Natacha and Amandine

FIRST CASE: JANUARY 31, 2022, 17th CHAMBER, PARIS
BRIGITTE MACRON, JEAN-MICHEL TROGNEUX, SÉBASTIEN AUZIÈRE,
LAURENCE AUZIÈRE & TIPHAINE AUZIÈRE
vs
NATACHA REY & AMANDINE ROY
Violation of privacy
Violation of right of image
- This first attempt at squashing the rumours with lawfare was immediately a small disaster.
- First filed as defamation, the accusation was then changed into violation of privacy and image right (a crime unique to France: “atteinte au droit à l’image”).
- It included claims that Natacha Rey had been spying on Jean-Michel Trogneux and such things.
- On March 8, 2023, the court rejected the case on the basis that Brigitte Macron and her family are public figures with their pictures and life-story all over the media, and hence cannot claim privacy or image right.
- The court suggested that the case should be refiled as defamation.
- In an interview with Radio Courtoisie on October 23, 2025, François Danglehant, who has become Natacha’s main lawyer (but was not involved until the appeal of the Second Case), explains that the Trogneuxs could have appealed the case but decided not to.
He estimates that even though in his opinion, the case for violation of privacy might have had a good chance of success, but that in a court case with such an accusation, Natacha could have demanded the results of a DNA test, which of course Brigitte Macron would have never produced. In a defamation case, French law puts the full burden of providing evidence purely on the accused, while the plaintiff does not have to bring proof of the falsehood of the alleged defamatory statements. - The case was then adjusted, and then filed as the Third Case, but without the Auzière children.

