Introduction
In a significant legal move, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, have filed a defamation lawsuit against American conservative commentator Candace Owens. The lawsuit, lodged in Delaware Superior Court on July 23, 2025, accuses Owens of spreading false and defamatory transphobic rumors about Brigitte Macron’s gender identity. This action underscores the ongoing struggle against misinformation and the legal recourse available to public figures when their reputations are unjustly attacked.
Key Individuals Involved
To fully understand the context of this lawsuit, it’s crucial to know more about the principal figures involved:
Emmanuel Macron
- Background: Born on December 21, 1977, in Amiens, France, Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron is the President of France, serving since 2017. At 39, he became the youngest president in French history since Napoleon.
- Education and Career: Macron holds degrees in philosophy from Paris Nanterre University, a master’s in public affairs from Sciences Po, and graduated from the École nationale d’administration (ENA) in 2004. He worked as a senior civil servant at the Inspectorate General of Finances and as an investment banker at Rothschild & Co before entering politics.
- Political Journey: Initially serving as Minister of the Economy under President François Hollande, Macron founded the centrist political movement “En Marche!” (later renamed “La République En Marche!” and then “Renaissance”) in 2016. He won the 2017 presidential election with 66% of the vote against Marine Le Pen and was re-elected in 2022, becoming the first French president in two decades to secure a second term.
- Personal Life: Married to Brigitte Trogneux since 2007, their relationship began when she was his drama teacher, sparking public interest due to their 24-year age difference. This relationship has often been a focal point of media attention and controversy.
Brigitte Macron
- Background: Born Brigitte Marie-Claude Trogneux on April 13, 1953, in Amiens, France, she is the First Lady of France since 2017.
- Career: A former teacher of French literature and drama at Lycée la Providence in Amiens, Brigitte played a significant role in Emmanuel Macron’s early life and political career, with advisors noting her presence as essential during his 2017 campaign.
- Personal Life: She was married with three children when she met Macron, a student in her class. After divorcing her first husband, she married Macron in 2007. Their relationship has faced scrutiny due to the age gap and the circumstances of their meeting.
- Legal Precedents: Brigitte has previously taken legal action against individuals spreading false claims about her gender identity, notably winning a case in France in 2022, though the defendants later won an appeal, prompting further legal action.
Candace Owens
- Background: Born on April 29, 1989, in Stamford, Connecticut, Candace Amber Owens Farmer is an American conservative political commentator and author known for her far-right views.
- Career Path: After dropping out of the University of Rhode Island, where she studied journalism, Owens worked in marketing and private equity in New York City. In 2016, she launched a website to combat cyberbullying, which marked her entry into conservative media.
- Political Activism: Initially critical of Donald Trump, Owens underwent a political conversion, becoming a vocal supporter of conservative causes. She gained prominence for her criticism of the Black Lives Matter movement and founded the BLEXIT Foundation in 2018 to encourage Black Americans to leave the Democratic Party.
- Professional Roles: She served as communications director for Turning Point USA from 2017 to 2019, worked for PragerU, and joined The Daily Wire in 2021, hosting the “Candace” talk show until her dismissal in March 2024 due to antisemitic comments and tensions with colleagues.
- Controversies: Owens has been criticized for promoting conspiracy theories, making antisemitic remarks, and downplaying the impact of white supremacy and racism, contributing to her polarizing public image.
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The Lawsuit
The defamation lawsuit against Candace Owens was initiated in response to her persistent promotion of false claims that Brigitte Macron is transgender and was born male. These claims are part of a debunked conspiracy theory that has circulated for years, which Brigitte has consistently denied and legally challenged.
Lawsuit Details
- Filing Location: Delaware Superior Court, chosen because Owens’ businesses are based there.
- Filing Date: July 23, 2025, as documented in a 219-page filing (https://clarelocke.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Complaint89.pdf).
- Accusations: The Macrons allege that Owens engaged in a “relentless bullying on a worldwide scale” by spreading false information about Brigitte’s gender identity. Specific allegations include claims that Brigitte was born male under the name Jean-Michel Trogneux (her brother’s name), stole someone else’s identity, and committed incest.
- Owens’ Actions: Owens produced an 8-part podcast series titled “Becoming Brigitte” and sold merchandise, including T-shirts featuring Brigitte’s face on a TIME Magazine cover with the tagline “man of the year.” She also posted on X in March 2024, stating, “I would stake my entire professional reputation on the fact that Brigitte Macron is in fact a man.”
- Legal Demands: The Macrons are seeking a jury trial, demanding that Owens cease her defamatory statements and pay punitive and economic damages for the harm caused, including loss of future business opportunities.
Legal Arguments
- The Macrons argue that Owens’ statements are false and have caused “tremendous damage” to their reputation, affecting their private lives and public roles.
- They provide “incontrovertible evidence” disproving the allegations, including Brigitte’s birth certificate and other documents confirming her identity as a woman.
- The lawsuit alleges that Owens used these false claims to boost her platform and financial gain, describing her actions as a “calculated and malicious effort to deceive the public for personal profit.”
Owens’ Response
- Owens has not yet formally responded to the lawsuit in court but posted on Instagram with a screenshot of an article about the lawsuit, a picture of the Macrons, and the caption, “I will be coming for this wig today. Stay tuned.” This suggests she intends to continue addressing the issue publicly, though her legal defense strategy remains unclear.
Related Legal Battles
- In France, Brigitte Macron is involved in a similar legal battle against two women who spread the same transphobic rumors. Initially convicted in 2024 and fined 8,000 euros to Brigitte and 5,000 euros to her brother, the women were later acquitted by the Paris Court of Appeal. Brigitte filed an appeal on July 14, 2025 (https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2025/07/14/brigitte-macron-se-pourvoit-en-cassation-apres-la-relaxe-en-appel-de-deux-femmes-qui-avaient-propage-une-infox-transphobe_6621162_3224.html).
Broader Implications
This lawsuit highlights several critical issues:
- Combating Misinformation:
- The case underscores the challenges of addressing defamation in an era where misinformation spreads rapidly through social media and online platforms.
- It raises questions about the responsibility of influencers like Owens to verify information before disseminating it to millions of followers.
- Impact on Public Figures:
- For the Macrons, this lawsuit is not only about defending Brigitte’s reputation but also about protecting the dignity of the French presidency.
- It reflects the personal toll that false claims can take, as evidenced by Emmanuel Macron’s March 2024 statement at a Paris event, where he described dealing with such rumors as the worst part of his presidency.
- Freedom of Speech vs. Accountability:
- The lawsuit highlights the tension between freedom of speech and the need to hold individuals accountable for spreading harmful falsehoods.
- It may set a precedent for how similar cases involving public figures and online influencers are handled globally.
Current Status
The lawsuit, filed on July 23, 2025, is in its preliminary stages, with no trial date set. The legal process is expected to be lengthy due to the international nature of the parties and the complexity of the issues. The related case in France continues, with Brigitte Macron’s appeal pending. Given the high-profile nature of the individuals involved, the case is likely to attract significant media attention.
Conclusion
The defamation lawsuit brought by Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron against Candace Owens is a pivotal moment in the fight against online misinformation. It underscores the need for accountability in the digital space and the importance of protecting individuals from baseless attacks on their character. As the case unfolds, it will be closely watched by those interested in the intersection of law, media, and public discourse.