French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron have filed a defamation suit against ultraconservative influencer Candace Owens. The presidential couple accuse her of relaying and exploiting the false rumor that Brigitte Macron was born a man in order to "gain notoriety and make money".
An "exemplary" amount of damages
In a 219-page document, the Macrons have filed a 22-count lawsuit in a court in Delaware, USA. They are seeking an "exemplary" amount in damages, to be determined at trial. Under U.S. law, this could amount to several million dollars.
"Becoming Brigitte" videos
Candace Owens, a rising figure in the complosphere, experienced a population boom with her series of videos entitled "Becoming Brigitte", published last January. The videos, which have over 2.3 million views on YouTube, are based on the book by Xavier Poussard, a French author with whom Owens collaborated.
A mind-boggling theory
In his videos, Owens also asserts that, underneath this First Lady facade, Jean-Marie Trogneux, Brigitte Macron's brother, is in fact hiding, and has therefore transitioned.
The complaint against Natacha Rey and Amandine Roy
This false rumor, widely circulated by conspiracy circles in France, dates back to 2021. Two women, Natacha Rey and Amandine Roy, who had widely circulated it, were sentenced in September by the French courts to pay several thousand euros in damages to Brigitte Macron and Jean-Michel Trogneux. several thousand euros in damages to Brigitte Macron and Jean-Michel Trogneux, but were acquitted on appeal on July 10. Brigitte Macron and her brother have appealed to the French Supreme Court.
A secret CIA plot
Brigitte and Emmanuel Macron also denounce the conspiracist's claim that they are related by blood, and that the French president was put in power by a secret CIA plot.
Three requests for retraction
"Owens dissected their appearance, marriage, friends, family and personal history, twisting it all into a grotesque narrative designed to inflame tensions and demean them," reads the Macrons' complaint. A statement released by the Macrons' lawyers says the couple filed the lawsuit after Owens rejected three requests to retract defamatory statements.
Antivax and Holocaust denial
The ultraconservative American influencer, who has reached 6.9 million subscribers on her X account and 4.7 million on YouTube, is known for relaying anti-Vax and Holocaust denial rhetoric over the years, as well as conspiracy theories about corrupt elites. She has been self-employed since she was fired last year by The Daily Wire for comments deemed anti-Semitic.
An "attempt at intimidation"
In a statement, a spokesperson for Candace Owens called the complaint an attempt at intimidation, following Brigitte Macron's refusal of Owens' numerous interview requests.
Owen is ready to put "her entire professional reputation on the line"
"Candace Owens will not be silenced," said the spokesperson. "This is a foreign government forwarding the First Amendment rights of an independent American journalist."In May 2024, Owens told "the world" that she would put "her entire professional reputation on the line" to argue that Ms. Macron "is in fact a man."