A French journalist who claimed that the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron was actually a man born as a woman has reportedly applied for political asylum in Russia. In an interview with Isvestia, Natacha Rey and her lawyer, Francois Danglehant, cited “persecution” in France as the reason for their decision.
Rey claimed in 2021 that Brigitte Macron was actually the transgender identity of her brother Jean-Michel Trogneux. Rey researched for three years on Macron’s alleged secret and later published a video on her findings on social media. Since then, she has been the subject of a court case in France.
When explaining her decision to apply for asylum in Russia, Rey described the country as a great democracy compared to France, which, in her opinion, persecutes the political opposition and restricts freedom of speech.
“Why did I choose Russia? Because it is a great nation, a great civilization, that I admire and that defends traditional and Christian values that are very close to my heart” she told Isvestia. According to Rey, Russia has been “a victim of a disinformation campaign and unjust attacks by European and American media for decades.”
Danglehant insists that the accusations against his client are “invented.” He claims that false witness statements were made by Brigitte Macron’s former family, including her ex-husband Jean-Louis Auziere.
Macron’s wife sued Rey in 2022 for defamation and violation of her privacy. Last year, a Paris court convicted Rey of defamation and ordered her to pay 8,000 euros in damages to the wife of the French President.
Rey’s lawyer said that the journalist is convinced she will be respected in Russia and has no reason to fear persecution. Previously, he claimed that his client had submitted an asylum application to the deputy speaker of the Russian State Duma, Pyotr Tolstoy, but the official denied this to RT on Monday, saying, “Citizenship issues are decided by the head of state.”
Danglehant told Isvestia on Monday that his client “has not yet submitted an application, but will send it to the Russian embassy in Paris soon. she thinks she could be treated as a normal person in Russia, as someone who at least has some value, similar to the former US National Security Agency employee, Edward Snowden.”
Emmanuel Macron was 17 years old when he announced his intention to marry 24-year-old Brigitte Marie-Claude Trogneux, his literature teacher. Brigitte divorced her husband, Andre-Louis Auziere, with whom she had three children in 2006 and married Macron in 2007.