Brigitte Boisselier Biography
Attr: By Asklepioscaduceus
Early Life and Education
Brigitte Boisselier, born in 1956 in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, was raised in a Catholic family on a farm. From an early age, she developed an interest in science, eventually earning a master's degree in biochemistry and a PhD in chemistry from the University of Dijon. In the 1980s, she moved to Texas, where she completed a second PhD in chemistry at the University of Houston.
Career Before Raëlism
In 1984, Boisselier returned to France and joined the industrial gas company Air Liquide, where she worked as a research chemist and later as a sales manager. She lived in Les Loges-en-Josas near Paris, married, and had three children between the late 1970s and early 1990s. Her career was steady and respected until a personal and professional transformation began in the early 1990s.
Conversion to Raëlism
In 1992, Boisselier attended a lecture by
Claude Vorilhon, known as Raël, the founder of the Raëlian Movement—a UFO-based religion claiming that life on Earth was created by extraterrestrials. Deeply impressed, she converted to Raëlism. This decision caused significant personal upheaval, including separation from her husband and strained relations with her family. Her increasing involvement in the movement eventually led to her joining its upper ranks, becoming a bishop and a member of the Order of Angels, a select group promoting Raëlian ideals of free love and femininity.
Entry into Clonaid
In 1997, Raël founded Clonaid, an organization dedicated to human cloning, and appointed Boisselier as its scientific director. When her role was publicized in the French press, Air Liquide terminated her employment, officially citing dual employment as the reason. Boisselier sued for religious discrimination and won about US$30,000 in 1999. She relocated to Quebec, then to the United States, teaching chemistry at SUNY Plattsburgh and later Hamilton College, until her connection to Clonaid made her position untenable.
Human Cloning Controversy
From 2000 onward, Boisselier became the public face of Clonaid’s attempts to produce the first cloned human. Funded in part by West Virginia politician Mark Hunt, who wished to clone his deceased son, she oversaw a secret U.S. laboratory and claimed to manage a team of scientists. The project attracted intense media scrutiny, legal interest, and skepticism from the scientific community.
In December 2002, Boisselier announced that Clonaid had successfully cloned a baby girl named "Eve" for an infertile couple. The claim made international headlines and prompted a child welfare investigation in Florida, initiated by attorney Bernard Siegel. Boisselier promised DNA proof but later stated that the parents withdrew from providing evidence. No verification was ever produced, and the announcement was widely dismissed as a hoax. Despite this, she maintained that Clonaid had cloned several more children in subsequent years, without offering proof.
Leadership in the Raëlian Movement
In 2003, Raël declared Boisselier his chosen successor, praising her for advancing the movement’s message globally. She continued to serve as a spokesperson, defending the group’s symbols, including its controversial use of the swastika, and promoting its philosophy that humans are biological “robots” whose minds can be reprogrammed.
Activism and Later Work
By the mid-2000s, Boisselier adopted the name Brigitte Roehr and moved to Los Angeles. She began leading Clitoraid, a Raëlian-affiliated initiative against female genital mutilation, aiming to fund reconstructive surgery for affected women. The project has faced criticism but remains part of her ongoing humanitarian outreach.
Associates and Influences
Key figures in Boisselier’s story include Raël, who was both her spiritual leader and promoter; Mark Hunt, whose personal tragedy catalyzed early Clonaid efforts; Thomas Kaenzig, Clonaid’s vice president during the Eve controversy; and various scientists—some named, many anonymous—who were linked to the cloning claims. Bioethicists like
Arthur Caplan and journalists such as Steven S. Hall were among her most vocal critics, challenging both the credibility of her claims and the media’s handling of the story.
Legacy
Brigitte Boisselier remains one of the most recognizable and controversial figures in the history of human cloning debates. Whether seen as a visionary, a provocateur, or a participant in a grand hoax, her role in blending science, media, and unconventional belief systems has left a lasting mark on public discourse about biotechnology, ethics, and fringe religions.
Our collection contains 5 quotes who is written / told by Brigitte.
Related authors: Philo (Philosopher), Lawrence Taylor (Athlete), Claude Vorilhon (Celebrity), Arthur Caplan (Scientist)
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: Clonaid Kid Buu
A: Kid Buu claimed he was cloned by Clonaid; the claim is unproven and widely doubted. - Q: Clonaid rapper
A: Refers to rapper Kid Buu’s claim he’s a Clonaid-made clone, no evidence. - Q: Brigitte Boisselier today
A: Long associated with the Raëlian Movement; keeps a low profile; no verified human cloning results. - Q: Marina Cocolios
A: Brigitte Boisselier’s daughter; maintains a private life. - Q: Claude Vorilhon
A: Also known as Raël, founder of the Raëlian Movement. - Q: Clonaid
A: Raëlian-linked company that claimed human cloning (e.g., “Baby Eve” in 2002) without providing proof. - Q: Brigitte Boisselier 2025
A: French chemist tied to the Raëlian Movement; known for Clonaid; largely out of the spotlight in 2025. - Q: Brigitte Boisselier daughter marina
A: Marina Cocolios is Brigitte Boisselier’s daughter. - Q: How old is Brigitte Boisselier?
A: She is 69 years old
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