France’s First Couple files defamation suit against podcaster

International

FRENCH President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron have filed a 22-count defamation lawsuit in the United States against American conservative commentator Candace Owens.

The couple accused Owens of waging a “year-long campaign of defamation” centered on the false claim that Brigitte is a man.

In a report by CNN, the suit, filed in Delaware Superior Court, alleges that Owens deliberately amplified a baseless conspiracy theory, beginning with a YouTube video released in March titled “Is France’s First Lady a Man?” According to the complaint, the video was widely promoted on social media, followed by a series of posts and videos—including a multipart YouTube series called “Becoming Brigitte.”

The Macrons’ legal counsel, Tom Clare, said the couple had issued repeated demands for Owens to stop spreading the falsehoods, accompanied by documented evidence proving Brigitte’s identity. “We made numerous retraction demands backed by incontrovertible proof that Mrs. Macron was born a woman named Brigitte Trogneux,” Clare said. “This lawsuit is a last resort.”

The complaint also alleges that Owens has profited from the conspiracy by promoting merchandise tied to the claims and using the narrative to drive engagement and monetize her platforms.

“Every time the Macrons leave their home, they do so knowing that countless people have heard, and many believe, these vile fabrications. It is invasive, dehumanizing, and deeply unjust,” the filing states.

The lawsuit seeks punitive damages against Owens and her business entities for defamation, false light, and defamation by implication. It also claims the couple has suffered substantial reputational and economic damage, including the loss of future opportunities.

In response, Owens posted on Instagram a photo of the Macrons alongside a mocking caption and later described the lawsuit as “an obvious and desperate public relations strategy” in a follow-up video on YouTube.

This is not the first time Brigitte Macron has taken legal action over such claims.

In 2022, she sued two French women who spread similar rumors online. While she initially won the case, it is now under review by a higher court after an appeal.(Edmie Rocsan UV Comm Intern)