French President Emmanuel Macron published a picture showing the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein kissing U.S. First Lady Melania Trump on the cheek.
Macron never shared any such image. The viral photograph depicting Epstein supposedly kissing the U.S. first lady is entirely fake and began as an online satirical creation.
Throughout 2026, various social media users alleged that French President Emmanuel Macron had distributed an authentic photograph featuring the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein kissing U.S. First Lady Melania Trump. This visual and the accompanying assertions gained traction across both X and Facebook (screenshot).
As initially established in April, reviews of Macron’s official, verified public social media profiles confirm that the French leader never published the picture in question—a fact also verified by French verification agencies when the content first emerged in early April. Subsequent internet searches conducted in April and August yielded zero coverage from credible news organizations treating the rumor as legitimate.
Moreover, the graphic originated from a February 5 publication managed by a political satire Facebook profile belonging to Tom Adelsbach. Adelsbach explicitly categorized the post as “digitally altered” and a “parody” after Spanish-speaking accounts began circulating it as a genuine document.
Consequently, this narrative has been rated as entirely false.
Attempts have been made to contact Adelsbach for further comments, and updates will be provided if a response is received.
Origin of the Rumor
A significant portion of the most widespread posts circulating in April 2026 featured a recorded TikTok clip referencing a Spanish-speaking “journalist named Nabil Omran” as the purported origin of the claim that Macron shared the image. (The original TikTok video is no longer accessible.)
(X user @p4purrip0p)
A Facebook profile appearing to belong to Omran did indeed share (screenshot) the graphic on April 3, accompanied by a laughing emoji and an Arabic caption translated via Google as, “Avenging His Dignity… #Macron Posts Photo of #Trump’s Wife with Her Lover.”
While Omran’s intent remains ambiguous, the post appeared to play off remarks made by Donald Trump on April 1, when he commented, “Macron — whose wife treats him extremely badly… he’s still recovering from the right to the jaw.”
Months prior, Brigitte Macron was captured on video appearing to strike the French president in the face. Emmanuel Macron subsequently characterized Trump’s remarks as “neither elegant nor up to standard” and unworthy of a formal reply.
Inquiries have also been sent to Omran to clarify his motivation, and the report will be revised if additional information becomes available.
The Image is Fabricated and Satirical in Origin
This portion of the report contains imagery that may be offensive to some readers.
Reverse-image analysis revealed that the foundational version of the graphic contained a watermark reading “TOM.ADELSBACH,” linking it directly to the digital creator and self-described meme enthusiast.
Adelsbach frequently publishes AI-generated political satires and discusses his utilization of artificial intelligence on a support platform. He also claimed responsibility for the creation on April 10 via his X account, @PaulleyTicks, addressing the rumors linking the meme to Macron.
The original meme featured a serial number in the bottom-right corner mimicking the document identification format used by the U.S. Department of Justice for public Epstein file releases. Although the specific alphanumeric string—EFTA01648120—did not appear in immediate database checks, extended searches confirmed that a corresponding photograph did exist on page 51 of file EFTA01648070.pdf (PDF).
In that legitimate DOJ record, Epstein is seen pursing his lips toward an individual whose face has been redacted. Consequently, it is evident that Adelsbach modified this official government document.
(U.S. Department of Justice/Facebook user Tom Adelsbach)
Past fact-checking investigations have addressed multiple separate fabrications connecting the American first lady to Epstein.
“A variety of fabricated visuals and statements concerning Epstein and myself have circulated across digital platforms for years,” the first lady stated during an unexpected public address on April 9, 2026, while explicitly refuting any association with the late offender. “Exercise caution regarding what you choose to believe. These narratives and depictions are entirely untrue.”