It’s not every day that Americans become fascinated with Kate Middleton or the first lady of France, but both women have become the center of attention in many social media influencer circles.

Kate Middleton’s last public appearance was just before Christmas 2023. The Palace released a statement informing the public that Kate would return to the public eye after Easter 2024 due to her recent abdominal surgery. No one questioned the statement until a poorly photoshopped image was posted to Kate’s Instagram on the day that the UK celebrates Mother’s Day. Many were quick to point out the flaws in the photoshop, and the Associated Press retracted the photo that circulated in the media.

In another strange turn of events, Kate released a statement apologizing for the poorly photoshopped image. This sent influencers worldwide into detective mode, wondering what was really happening with her.

Rumors began to fly. Some think Kate suffered from complications after surgery and passed away, while others think that Prince William continued an affair with Kate’s former friend and Kate initiated the divorce process. As rumors gain traction, the British media continue to release pictures of Kate that many believe are photoshopped. This leaves many asking why the Royals don’t dispel rumors by simply giving the public a current picture of Kate.

This week, a British tabloid posted a video of Kate’s weekend shopping trip, but it remains to be seen what happens to rampant speculation.

In France, the media is working tirelessly to shut down growing rumors surrounding the biological sex of Brigitte Macron, France’s first lady. While the rumors of Brigitte being a biological man aren’t new, this time they are not going away. It is rumored that Brigitte was once a man named Jean-Michel and transitioned into a woman at the age of 30. The French media has attempted to help the first lady dispel rumors by releasing pictures of her in her youth, but such attempts have been debunked. A picture of young Brigitte turned out to be a picture of her daughter, and Jean-Michel is Brigitte’s brother, not Brigitte as a boy. This leaves people wondering why Brigitte doesn’t appear in public with her brother and release pictures of her in her youth. That would surely dispel all rumors of Brigitte really being Jean-Michel.

Both stories have gained attention because so many people are fed up with media lies, especially the ones that were fed to us during COVID. It became reflexive and almost necessary to assume anything the media or the government told us was a lie. This became especially apparent when questioning the narrative resulted in negative consequences.

The people’s distrust of their media and government is no longer unique to the United States. We will continue to question them until honest answers are given. Gone are the days when people blindly trusted what the media or government said.