Macron Sues Candace Owens for Defamation over Claims Brigitte is a Man/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ France’s President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron have filed a defamation lawsuit in the U.S. against conservative commentator Candace Owens. The suit, filed in Delaware, targets Owens’ repeated claims that Brigitte Macron is a man. The Macrons’ legal team is seeking substantial damages if Owens continues to spread the conspiracy theory.
Defamation Lawsuit Against Owens: Quick Looks
- Filed in Delaware: Macron family files defamation suit in U.S. court
- Candace Owens targeted: Allegedly spread false claims that Brigitte Macron is a man
- Repeated requests ignored: Macron attorney says Owens mocked efforts to set the record straight
- Potentially ‘substantial’ damages: Legal team warns payout could rise if falsehoods continue
- False claims date back years: French conspiracy theory falsely links Brigitte to her brother
- Owens dismisses lawsuit: Calls it a “desperate PR strategy” on her YouTube channel
- Previous lawsuit in France: Brigitte Macron previously won a similar defamation case, later overturned
- Macrons’ relationship history: Couple met in high school when Brigitte was Emmanuel’s teacher
- Legal precedent builds: French first couple escalate legal strategy to defend personal reputation
- Presidency unaffected: Macron currently in final presidential term; Brigitte turned 72 in April
Deep Look: Macrons Sue Candace Owens in U.S. Court Over Defamation Claims
PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron have filed a defamation lawsuit in Delaware against U.S. political commentator Candace Owens, escalating a transatlantic legal battle over false and long-debunked conspiracy theories.
At the heart of the suit are repeated claims made by Owens on social media and YouTube that Brigitte Macron is a transgender woman, born male under the name Jean-Michel Trogneux—a claim French courts and media investigations have already disproven.
Legal Action Follows Year of Mockery, Ignored Requests
According to Tom Clare, the Macrons’ U.S. attorney, the lawsuit was “a last resort” after more than a year of attempts to privately urge Owens to retract her statements.
“Each time we’ve done that, she mocked the Macrons, she mocked our efforts to set the record straight,” Clare said in an interview with CNN. “Enough is enough.”
The lawsuit, spanning 219 pages, presents what the attorney describes as “extensive evidence” proving that Brigitte Macron was born female and has always identified as such.
Although the couple’s goal is accountability, Clare noted they would pursue “substantial” financial damages if Owens continues to double down on her claims before the trial.
Owens Fires Back With Mockery
In response, Candace Owens dismissed the lawsuit as an “obvious and desperate public relations strategy,” continuing her rhetoric by calling Brigitte Macron “a very goofy man” in a recent YouTube video.
Owens, known for her polarizing political commentary, has a large following with approximately 4.5 million YouTube subscribers. She’s no stranger to controversy: in 2024, she was barred from entering both New Zealand and Australia after she denied the reality of Nazi medical experiments during World War II.
Despite her defiance, Owens has yet to produce any verifiable evidence supporting her claims about the French first lady.
Origin of the Conspiracy
The false claim originated in far-right conspiracy circles in France, alleging that Brigitte Macron was originally her brother Jean-Michel Trogneux. That theory has been categorically debunked. In 2023, Brigitte and her brother successfully sued two women in Paris for spreading these claims. However, a Paris appeals court later overturned that ruling. The family is now pursuing the matter in France’s highest court.
This new case marks the first legal action brought by the Macrons in the United States, signaling a more global response to online disinformation targeting the first family.
History and Public Scrutiny
Brigitte Macron, born Brigitte Auzière, was a high school teacher when she met Emmanuel Macron, then her student. She was a married mother of three at the time. The couple later married in 2007 after she moved to Paris and finalized her divorce.
Now 47, Emmanuel Macron is serving his second and final presidential term. Brigitte Macron, who recently turned 72, continues to play a prominent role in public life.
Their relationship has long drawn attention in both the French and international media, with critics frequently fixating on their 24-year age difference. In May, a viral video showed Brigitte pushing her husband away during an overseas trip, which Macron later dismissed as playful “squabbling.”
Broader Implications of the Lawsuit
The case raises deeper questions about online misinformation, public figures’ rights to privacy, and how national leaders navigate falsehoods in a global media landscape.
Legal analysts suggest that although U.S. defamation laws favor free speech, the Macrons may be able to demonstrate actual malice—the legal standard for defamation against public figures—if they can prove that Owens knowingly spread false information.
The case could also serve as a litmus test for foreign leaders using U.S. courts to confront digital defamation originating on American soil.
You must Register or Login to post a comment.