The far-right US commentator and influencer has been sued by the Macrons after she falsely claimed that Brigitte Macron, the wife of French president Emmanuel Macron, was born a man
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte have initiated a high-profile legal tussle with US right-wing pundit Candace Owens, following their decision to file a defamation lawsuit against the commentator for alleging that France’s first lady was originally male.
The Macrons took legal action on Wednesday in Delaware, slamming Owens for disseminating what they call “outlandish, defamatory, and far-fetched fictions” after she repeatedly broadcasted such claims on her podcast and across social media platforms.
In a particularly bold move in March 2024, Owens even declared she would bet her “entire professional reputation” on the assertion that Mrs Macron “is in fact a man”.
These allegations are rooted in a long-standing online conspiracy theory suggesting Mrs Macron was born as Jean-Michel Trogneux, which is actually the name of her brother.
Owens, who boasts a following of 7 million on X, not only shared this unfounded theory but also released a video series titled Becoming Brigitte earlier this year, where she persisted in echoing these baseless statements, reports the Express.
Reacting to Owens’ persistent claims, the Macrons, through their legal representatives, issued a statement asserting that despite repeated requests for Owens to retract her statements, they were left with no choice but to seek justice in court after she ignored their demands.
“Ms Owens’ campaign of defamation was plainly designed to harass and cause pain to us and our families and to garner attention and notoriety,” the statement read. “We gave her every opportunity to back away from these claims, but she refused.”
The lawsuit filed on Wednesday accuses Owens of ignoring all credible evidence that disproves her claim, choosing instead to give a platform to known conspiracy theorists and proven defamers.
It also directly charges Owens with falsely claiming that the French president and his wife are blood relatives and criticises her allegations that Emmanuel Macron’s rise to power was orchestrated by a covert CIA operation.
The Macrons, who have named Owens’ Delaware-based companies in the lawsuit, are seeking unspecified damages for the accusations made against them.
Under US law, to win their case, the Macrons must demonstrate “actual malice” – showing that the defendant was aware the information was false but chose to publish or broadcast it regardless.
Previously, in September 2024, two women in France were convicted of libel for making similar assertions about Brigitte Macron, but this verdict was appealed and subsequently overturned in July this year.
Candace Owens, often seen as a contentious figure in political discourse, has been associated with several conservative groups throughout her career, including Turning Point USA and The Daily Wire, before starting her own independent podcast in 2024.
In addition to her allegations about the Macrons, she’s also been spreading gossip on a variety of other subjects, including several conspiracy theories related to Covid jabs, the moon landings, and even the Holocaust.
On a personal note, she is wedded to George Farmer, a British-American businessman and offspring of Baron Michael Farmer, a member of the House of Lords and ex-treasurer of the Conservative Party.