Brigitte Macron says Candace Owens doubled down on fake gender claims to get more followers
WASHINGTON, DC: French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron have expanded their US libel lawsuit against right-wing commentator Candace Owens, accusing her of deliberately spreading false claims that Brigitte was born male.
They allege Owens used the defamatory narrative to grow her social media following, sell branded merchandise, and solicit donations from her audience.
Macrons claim in lawsuit Owens strengthened their case
The Macrons expanded their libel lawsuit, originally filed in July in Delaware, alleging that Candace Owens intensified and amplified her false claims that Brigitte Macron, 72, was born male.
In new court filings, the couple’s lawyers argued that Owens strengthened their case by doubling down on her defamatory remarks. “Since we filed this lawsuit, Ms Owens has only strengthened our case by doubling down on, and escalating,” they wrote, accusing her of using her podcast to spread lies about the Macrons, promote merchandise mocking them, and solicit donations under the guise of investigative reporting.
Earlier this month, Owens launched a new season of her series Becoming Brigitte, which she began last year to promote her baseless claims about the French First Lady’s background.
The updated complaint, now totaling 250 pages, further accuses Owens of suggesting that the Macrons are part of a conspiracy aimed at derailing her so-called investigation.
The couple’s legal team also noted, "Owens’s fan base grew to 7.2 million followers on X and 5.21 million subscribers on YouTube. The most popular podcasts in the world discussed her ‘investigation’ into the Macrons’ history.'"
Controversy over Brigitte Macron and unverified claims
The false claims began in 2021 with an article published by Faits et Documents, a small far-right magazine known for promoting conspiracy theories and antisemitic content. The article, written by self-proclaimed independent journalists Natacha Rey and Xavier Poussard, initially drew little attention.
That changed when Rey appeared in a four-hour YouTube video with spiritual medium Delphine Jégousse, also known as Amandine Roy. In the video, released shortly before France’s 2022 presidential election, Rey repeated her unfounded claims about Brigitte Macron. The video went viral.
In September 2024, a French court ruled that Rey and Poussard had defamed Brigitte. Despite the ruling, Candace Owens picked up the story last year and continued to promote it.
Owens’s version of the story spread worldwide, putting pressure on the Macrons to provide both photographic and scientific evidence to confirm Brigitte is a woman.
Legal battle intensifies between Macrons and Candace Owens
The lawsuit claims Owens publicly dissected every part of their lives, including their looks, marriage, friends, family, and personal history, twisting the details into a damaging narrative meant to provoke and humiliate. The Macrons described this as ongoing, global harassment.
“Every time the Macrons leave their home,” the lawsuit says, “they do so knowing that countless people have heard, and many believe, these vile fabrications. It is invasive, dehumanising, and deeply unjust.”
Owens pushed back, accusing the Macrons of launching a public relations campaign. She promised to keep fighting, declaring, “On behalf of the entire world, I will see you in court".
