- French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron have filed a defamation lawsuit in Delaware Superior Court.
- The lawsuit targets conservative commentator Candace Owens for a series of claims regarding Brigitte Macron’s gender and the couple’s relationship.
- The Macrons are seeking damages and a jury trial in the U.S., asserting that Owens knowingly spread false information.
- Owens has framed the lawsuit as a First Amendment issue and vows to respond publicly.
The Big Picture
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron have initiated legal action in the United States against conservative American podcaster Candace Owens. The lawsuit, filed in Delaware Superior Court, accuses Owens of defamation over claims that Brigitte Macron is a man and that the Macrons are concealing personal and familial deceptions.
What’s New
The 219-page lawsuit highlights a podcast series titled “Becoming Brigitte” in which Owens, who boasts nearly seven million followers on X, repeatedly alleged that Brigitte Macron is biologically male. The Macrons argue that Owens’ statements—alongside additional claims of incest, identity fraud, and CIA-related conspiracies—were part of a deliberate campaign to provoke and profit from sensationalism.
According to the complaint, the couple reached out to Owens asking her to retract the statements, but she refused. In their legal filing, the Macrons assert that Owens was fully aware the claims were false, accusing her of launching “a grotesque narrative designed to inflame and degrade.”
What They’re Saying
In a statement issued through their attorney, the Macrons said, as quoted in France 24:
Meanwhile, Owens’ representative Mitchell Jackson responded, framing the matter as a free speech issue. In an email quoted by Courthouse News, he stated:
Background and Fallout
The Macrons have previously faced rumors regarding Brigitte Macron’s gender, which resurfaced prominently in France in 2021. Two French women, Natacha Rey and Amandine Roy, who circulated similar claims were initially convicted of slander and ordered to pay damages. However, according to France 24, those convictions were overturned by a Paris appeals court this month. Brigitte Macron is now appealing to France’s highest court.
The lawsuit also addresses the couple’s personal history, specifically denying long-standing accusations about the origins of their relationship. Emmanuel Macron met Brigitte, then a teacher, when he was 15, sparking public scrutiny. The suit emphasizes that their relationship has always remained within the legal bounds, and in December, the couple denied claims of statutory rape in a letter addressed to Owens.
What’s Next
By filing in a U.S. court, the Macrons are seeking both damages and legal accountability. Their legal team argues the case is about protecting dignity and setting the record straight amid an international campaign of humiliation. The outcome could set a significant precedent regarding the intersection of foreign dignitaries and U.S. free speech protections.
The Bottom Line
Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron’s decision to take their defamation claims against Candace Owens to a U.S. courtroom signals a serious effort to counter what they see as a calculated and harmful smear campaign. Owens, in turn, remains defiant and is positioning herself as a champion of free speech. The high-profile legal clash now moves into the American legal system with international implications.
(with inputs from agencies)
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