French First Lady Fights Back: Brigitte Macron Sues Candace Owens Over Baseless Gender Claims

Paris, France – In a move that highlights the escalating battle against online misinformation, French First Lady Brigitte Macron and her husband, President Emmanuel Macron, have filed a defamation lawsuit against American right-wing podcaster Candace Owens. The suit, lodged in Delaware state court on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, targets Owens's persistent and widely debunked claims that Brigitte Macron was born biologically male.

The Macrons allege that Owens has leveraged these false statements to "promote her independent platform, gain notoriety, and make money," asserting that her commentary has incited "relentless bullying on a worldwide scale" and subjected the First Lady to "global humiliation."

For months, Owens has used her podcast, "Becoming Brigitte," and various social media platforms to disseminate the baseless conspiracy theory, despite widespread refutation. The lawsuit also points to other "outlandish, defamatory, and far-fetched fictions" propagated by Owens, including bizarre claims of incest within the Macron family and even an assertion that Emmanuel Macron's presidency was orchestrated through a CIA mind-control program.

The Macrons stated that their decision to pursue legal action came after repeated attempts to secure retractions from Owens proved futile. Instead, they claim, Owens "doubled down" on her fabrications, leaving them with no recourse but to seek legal remedy to "set the record straight" and hold her accountable.

In response, Owens has vehemently denied the allegations, characterizing the lawsuit as "littered with factual inaccuracies" and an "obvious and desperate public relations strategy." Her spokesperson further framed the legal challenge as a "foreign government attacking the First Amendment rights of an American independent journalist," signaling that Owens intends to stand firm against the suit.

This isn't the first time Brigitte Macron has been forced to contend with these particular conspiracy theories in court. She previously secured a victory in a French court against two other individuals who propagated similar rumors. However, that conviction was recently overturned on appeal, a decision the First Lady is now challenging in France's highest court.

The high-profile lawsuit serves as a potent reminder of the pervasive nature of online disinformation and the significant challenges public figures face in combating false narratives that can inflict substantial personal and reputational damage. As the legal proceedings unfold, the case is likely to draw further attention to the broader implications of unchecked online content and the global efforts to hold purveyors of misinformation accountable.