The story initially went unnoticed as the magazine only publishes articles in print and has a small circulation.
But on December 10, Natacha Rey, the journalist who penned the story, gave a four-hour interview about the theory which was posted on Youtube and racked up nearly 500,000 views before being removed.
Several fringe websites and social media accounts spread the fake news, including many associated with the far-Right, anti-vaxxers, the yellow vest movement and the QAnon conspiracy theory movement, which claims the US is being governed by devil-worshipping child abusers.
#JeanMichelTrogneux made it into the top trends on French Twitter for several days following the video, with users dissecting photos of the first lady’s figure and movements to prove the theory.
More than 66,000 users posted messages under the hashtag, many including transphobic or sexist comments.
‘Toxic fringe’ taking over public debate
“This ability of the most marginal and most toxic fringe to take space in the public debate is saddening,” said Tristan Mendès France, a professor at Paris Diderot University who specialises in far-Right online culture.
He added the rumours were part of a “radical conspiracy theory, be it American or French, that there is a degeneration of our elites and therefore a sexual degeneration.”
Natacha Rey has been regularly attacking the presidential couple on her Facebook profile since 2018. She has insulted Ms Macron’s appearance several times, comparing her to the Steven Spielberg alien E.T. or denouncing the “ravages of cosmetic surgery.”
According to a YouGov survey published earlier this year, French people were significantly more likely to believe in conspiracy theories than their British counterparts.
Over 38 percent of the people interviewed said they believed the harmful effects of vaccinations were hidden from the public, compared to 33 percent of Americans and 19 percent of Britons.
Similar false theories have targeted other female political leaders, including Michelle Obama in the US and Jacinda Ardern in New Zealand.
Ms Macron has herself often been targeted for her physical appearance and the age difference between her and the French president, who is 24 years her junior.
