Candace Owens claims that Brigitte Macron is a man. Credit: Instagram @realcandaceowens
French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron have filed a 22-count defamation lawsuit in the US state of Delaware against right-wing commentator and author Candace Owens.
The couple accuse Owens of waging a relentless, year-long campaign of falsehoods aimed at personal and financial gain.
The lawsuit includes charges of defamation, false light, and defamation by implication, and seeks punitive and actual damages from Owens and her business entities.
Who is Candace Owens?
Owens, a prominent conservative influencer with over 5.5 million Instagram followers and 4 million YouTube subscribers, has repeatedly claimed Brigitte Macron is a man. In a January 2024 X post, Owens wrote, “After looking into this, I would stake my entire professional reputation on the fact that Brigitte Macron is in fact a man.”
She expanded on these allegations in a multi-part YouTube series and has claimed Brigitte was born “Jean-Michel Trogneux.” She also alleged the Macrons are blood relatives, and that Emmanuel Macron is a CIA asset involved in mind control programmes like MKUltra.
The lawsuit describes these claims as “outlandish, defamatory, and far-fetched fictions” that have turned the couple into targets of “relentless bullying on a worldwide scale” (Cited by CNN).
Macrons willing to testify in person against Candace Owens
Representing the Macrons is Tom Clare, the lawyer behind the Dominion v. Fox News case. He stated, “If ever there was a clear-cut case of defamation, this is it… Owens both promoted and expanded on discredited falsehoods, inventing new ones designed to cause maximum harm to the Macrons and maximise attention and financial gain for herself.” (Newsweek)
The couple are reportedly willing to appear in person in Delaware for a potential jury trial.
The lawsuit also alleges Owens gained from merchandise promoting the conspiracy.
Owens responds to Macrons
On Instagram, Owens posted a photo of the Macrons with a news headline about the lawsuit, writing, “I will be coming for this wig today. Stay tuned.” In another post she captioned a photo of another news headline with, “This took balls.”
A spokesperson for Owens told CNN she was “not shutting up” and added, “This is a foreign government attacking the First Amendment rights of an American independent journalist… In France, politicians can bully journalists, but this is not France. It’s America.”
Owens is expected to respond fully on her podcast shortly.
Not Brigitte Macron’s first legal battle over claims that she is a man
Brigitte Macron previously sued two women in France over similar claims. After an initial victory, the ruling was overturned on appeal and the case is now pending in France’s highest court, the Court of Cassation.
President Macron commented on the rumours earlier this year, saying, “People end up believing them, and it disrupts your life, even in your most private moments.”
The Elysee Palace has declined to comment, calling the case a private affair.
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