Top
NextTribe NextTribe
The French President, His Wife, & Cougarism: Why Not?

by · Connection

Is The French President’s Wife A Cougar? Am I A Cougar?

The wife of the new French President is 24 years older than he is. Demi, Madonna and Carmen Diaz all famously like younger men. Marion Winik explores the age gap and considers diving right in.

The wife of the new French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron has been called a cougar, a term that has come into vogue to describe a woman who dates younger men. Apparently originating around the turn of the century in Western Canada, the implication of the usage is that older women are jungle hunters and younger guys are their defenseless prey.

A book called Cougar: A Guide for Older Women Dating Younger Men was published in 2001 by a Toronto-based journalist, and by 2009, the sitcom Cougar Town had settled in on American TV for its six-year run. Demi Moore pioneered celebrity cougar-ing with her marriage to 16-years-younger Ashton Kutcher; Mariah Carey, Madonna, Cameron Diaz, and many others have followed suit.

But wait. Is Brigitte Trogneux a cougar? She met Emmanuel Macron when he was 15; she was his 39-year-old high school drama teacher. At the time, she was married with three kids, one of them in Emmanuel’s class. Fourteen years later, Brigitte divorced her husband, and she and Emmanuel married. “Love took everything in its path,” she told Paris Match in a 2016 interview. It sure did.

Whoops! Want to read more?

Become a member to get these perks:

              • Read all our bold, bodacious articles by top writers.
              • Get discounts on trips and events, including Paris, Italy, Scotland, New York City.
              • Join our members-only "Tribe" community to connect with like-minded women.

Join now—as low as $39 a year!

Recent Articles

Love our content?

We are the Voice of Smart, Bold Women 45 and over! Our mantra is Age Boldly! No where else will you find authentic, original content like this. So give a little or give a lot. We want to continue publishing stories about love later in life, adult children never leaving home, wearing a bikini after 50 and trips of a lifetime! Thank you in advance for supporting NextTribe.

SUPPORT US