Emmanuel Macron blasts Candace Owens for spreading 'vile lies' about wife as he addresses lawsuit
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: French President Emmanuel Macron has accused conservative commentator Candace Owens of knowingly spreading false rumors about his wife Brigitte being born male, saying he is pursuing legal action to defend his honor.
The French leader criticized Owens in his first public comments since filing a defamation suit in Delaware last month, telling Paris Match that the conspiracy theorist pushed “vile lies … with the aim of causing harm, in the service of an ideology.”
Emmanuel Macron defends his wife as he vows to fight lies
Emmanuel Macron said aides advised him to ignore Candace Owens’ claims, but he refused to back down.
“They’re talking about the identity of the first lady of France, of a wife, mother and grandmother. It’s a matter of defending my honor,” he told Paris Match Magazine.
“This has become such a big issue in the United States that we had to respond,” Macron added Tuesday, August 19. “It’s a question of having the truth respected.”
He further alleged, “[Owens] is someone who knew very well that she was spreading false information and did so with the aim of causing harm.”
Owens responded on Wednesday, August 20 by ridiculing the French president on her show. “He will not say my name! I feel like Destiny’s Child! He’s acting kinda shady… Macron, say my name!” she fumed, also calling him “such a little punk” and “a big weenie” for refusing to mention her directly during his interview.
Watch the video from 0:55 to hear what Owens said.
The Macrons’ lawsuit alleges Owens spread the transgender rumor to “promote her independent platform, gain notoriety, and make money.”
The eight-part podcast series titled 'Becoming Brigitte' made wild claims about the presidential couple and their marriage, the suit states.
Macron said he initially feared a legal battle would create a Streisand effect by amplifying the allegations, but decided to act as the rumors gained traction in the US.
Emmanuel Macron rejects free speech defense, takes swipe at MAGA
Candace Owens and her supporters have called the lawsuit an attack on press freedom. Macron dismissed that argument, insisting that free speech does not shield “malicious nonsense.”
“Those talking about so-called freedom of speech are the same ones banning reporters from the Oval Office,” Macron said, referencing the White House’s recent decision to bar Associated Press journalists from the Oval Office and Air Force One.
Owens interpreted Macron’s remark as a direct jab at President Donald Trump. “[Macron’s statement about the White House not letting pool reporters in] sounds like a jab at Trump,” she said on her podcast.
The case, filed in Delaware, represents an unusual move by a sitting foreign leader to sue an American media personality for defamation.
The Macrons have categorically denied every allegation Owens made in her series. French presidential advisers had warned that responding could backfire by drawing more attention, but Macron insisted that the spread of the rumors in the US made silence impossible.
