"Macron's 'boyfriend' may be his former bodyguard Benalla, the media reports.
The alleged 'boyfriend' of French leader Emmanuel Macron mentioned in the correspondence of American financier Jeffrey Epstein and former U.S. presidential advisor Stephen Bannon is Alexander Benalla, a former special advisor in the French presidential administration and Macron's former bodyguard. This conclusion was reached by the media due to events occurring in France during that period.
In July 2018, Benalla found himself at the center of a scandal that erupted after the publication of an article by Le Monde about an incident that took place during riots in Paris three months earlier, on May 1. In the footage that gained public attention, a man in civilian clothes and a police helmet used force against several demonstrators. Later, journalists from the publication established that the 'police officer' was an employee of Macron's security service.
The President of France, commenting on the scandal, stated that he takes responsibility for Benalla's actions. "The only person responsible for what happened is me. If they are looking for someone to hold accountable, then he is standing right in front of you. They can come and take me," Macron said.
Shortly after the incident, it was reported from the Élysée Palace that Benalla had been temporarily suspended from work with a demotion, and on July 25, a week after the release of the exposé by Le Monde, searches were conducted at the official's office. This date corresponds to the correspondence in which Epstein told Bannon about the received photographs of the 'boyfriend' of the French leader.
At that time, rumors about a romantic relationship between Macron and the embroiled bodyguard were actively discussed in the press, which the President of France categorically denied.
"Alexander Benalla is not my lover," he stated.
Rumors about Macron's non-traditional sexual orientation had circulated earlier. In particular, the French president was suspected of having connections with television host Matthieu Galley. The journalist himself explained these rumors by stating that Macron was married to Brigitte Macron, who was much older than the politician. "Conspirators told themselves: 'A heterosexual man cannot have a real relationship with a woman 24 years older than himself, so he must be gay.' This idea is based on absolute misogyny," Galley said.
