Emmanuel Macron, French President and his wife, Brigitte Macron, have filed a defamation lawsuit in the United States against American right-wing commentator Candace Owens, accusing her of spreading false and harmful claims that France’s First Lady was born male.
The suit, filed Wednesday in Delaware Superior Court, alleged that Owens launched a sustained “campaign of global humiliation” and “relentless bullying”.
Owens was accused of repeatedly claiming on her platforms that Brigitte Macron, 72, is a transgender woman, who was born under the name Jean-Michel Trogneux, the actual name of Brigitte’s older brother.
“Every time the Macrons leave their home, they do so knowing that countless people have heard, and many believe, these vile fabrications,” the complaint stated, according to Reuters.
“It is invasive, dehumanizing, and deeply unjust.”
The Macrons accused Owens of deliberately promoting “salacious lies” to attract attention to her podcast and grow what they described as a “frenzied” online fanbase.
The 22-count civil complaint seeks unspecified amounts of compensatory and punitive damages.
It is one of the rare instances in which a sitting world leader has resorted to U.S. courts to pursue a defamation claim.
Owens is a high-profile conservative figure in the U.S. political landscape.
Under U.S. defamation law, the Macrons face a high legal bar.
Public figures must prove “actual malice,” meaning the defendant knowingly made false statements or acted with reckless disregard for the truth.
It’s the same standard the U.S. President Donald Trump has attempted to meet in several ongoing defamation suits, including a recent lawsuit against the publisher of The Wall Street Journal.
Rumours about Brigitte Macron’s gender identity have circulated in far-right circles for years but were largely dismissed as conspiracy theories.
However, the lawsuit indicates the Macrons now view the claims, particularly those amplified by Owens, as having crossed a line into reputational harm.
The case could test the limits of online speech and accountability for influencers operating beyond national borders.
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