EPAFrench President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte filed a defamation lawsuit against right-wing influencer Candace Owens, who claimed that France’s first lady was a male.
The legal lawsuit filed Wednesday in Delaware, U.S., said Owens has been spreading “eccentric, slanderous and far-fetched novels.”
Owens regularly repeats these claims on her popular podcasts and social media channels, noting in March 2024 that she enjoys her “whole professional reputation” as she believes that Mrs. Macron is “in fact alone.”
In an episode of the podcast released Wednesday, Owens insisted on her allegations and spoke about the lawsuit: “It’s really stupid.”
Owens mocked the French First Lady and described being prosecuted as an “obvious, desperate public relations strategy.”
Conspiracy theory that has been circulating in the Fringe Online space for many years says that Mrs. Macron was born into a male under the name of Jean-Michel Trogneux, who belongs to her brother.
Owens spreads conspiracy theories to her audience, including nearly 7 million followers on X. Earlier this year, she released a video series titled Brigitte.
Macron said in a statement issued by his attorney that they repeatedly asked Owens to withdraw, but “finally concluded that bringing the matter to the court was the only remaining remedy.”
“Ms Owens’ slander campaign is designed to harass and cause pain to us and our families and to attract attention and notoriety,” the statement said.
“We gave her all the chances to get rid of these claims, but she refused.”
The lawsuit states that Owens “disregards all reliable evidence and refutes her claims in favor of the platform’s known conspiracy theorists and proven slanderers.”
It also accuses Owens of falsely accusing the French president and his wife of being relatives of descent, and Emmanuel Macron was installed by the Secret Episode (CIA) of the Secret CIA.
Owens worked in conservative organizations including student group turning points and media media Daily Wire ahead of her independent podcast in 2024.
Getty ImagesSince then, she has spread rumors or suggested that the conspiracy is behind things like Covid vaccines, the Holocaust and the Moon landing.
The lawsuit also named her Delaware-wide company and seeks compensation for unspecified losses.
Under U.S. law, macros will have to prove “actual malicious” – meaning the defendant knows that the information is wrong, but has been published or broadcast anyway.
In September, a French court ruled that two women were guilty of libel for spreading false claims about Brigitte Macron, but the appeal was overturned earlier this month, local media reported.
Owens married George Farmer, son of British entrepreneurs George Farmer and Baron Michael Farmer.
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