France’s First Lady Brigitte Macron is taking her defamation case to the country's highest court after an appeals court overturned convictions against two women who falsely claimed she was born male, her lawyer confirmed on Monday.

The controversial claims, which have circulated widely online for years, resurfaced in December 2021 when the two women published a YouTube video alleging that Brigitte, now 72, was originally a man named Jean-Michel Trogneux the name of her actual brother.

The video quickly went viral, gaining traction among conspiracy theorists, including some in the United States.

In the four-hour video, Amandine Roy, who describes herself as a spiritual medium, interviewed Natacha Rey, a self-proclaimed independent journalist.

Rey claimed to have uncovered a “state-sponsored lie,” alleging that Jean-Michel transitioned into Brigitte Macron and later married Emmanuel Macron.

The First Lady filed a libel suit following the video's release. In September 2023, a lower court had found the two women guilty and ordered them to pay €8,000 (Sh1.2 million ) in damages to Brigitte Macron and €5,000 (Sh754.4 million) to her brother.

However, the Paris appeals court last Thursday overturned that ruling, sparking a new legal effort.

Brigitte Macron’s lawyer, Jean Ennochi, announced that both she and her brother would now appeal to the Cour de Cassation France’s top appeals court to challenge the dismissal of the charges.