French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, have filed a defamation lawsuit against right-wing podcast host Candace Owens. The high-profile case, lodged in Delaware Superior Court, centers on Owens’ repeated claims that France’s First Lady was born male.
The lawsuit, encompassing a total of twenty-two counts, seeks significant damages. The Macrons assert that Owens has engaged in a “campaign of global humiliation” and “relentless bullying” through her podcast to expand her fan base.
Owens broadcast an eight-episode series alleging Brigitte Macron was born a man, stole another person’s identity, and transitioned to a woman. “These claims are demonstrably false, and Owens knew they were false when she published them,” the lawsuit states. “Yet, she published them anyway. And the reason is clear: it is not the pursuit of truth, but the pursuit of fame.”
The Macrons’ legal action comes after Owens reportedly doubled down on the falsehoods despite their lawyers’ retraction requests. “Ms. Owens’ campaign of defamation was plainly designed to harass and cause pain to us and our families and to garner attention and notoriety,” they said in a statement. “We gave her every opportunity to back away from these claims, but she refused. It is our earnest hope that this lawsuit will set the record straight and end this campaign of defamation once and for all.”
The Macron family alleges that Owens’ “Becoming Brigitte” series aims to spread baseless theories and misinformation, specifically to “attract and provoke attention through sensationalism and conspiracy theories.”
“Every time the Macrons leave their home, they do so knowing that countless people have heard, and many believe, these vile fabrications,” the complaint detailed. “It is invasive, dehumanizing, and deeply unjust.”
Attempts to reach Candace Owens for comment have so far been unsuccessful.
