French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron Sue Right-Wing Podcaster Candace Owens for Defamation
July 23, 2025 | Jamaica Live News Desk
Jamaica Live | INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Wilmington, Delaware, July 23, 2025 — In a highly unusual move for global leaders, French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron have filed a 22‑count defamation lawsuit in Delaware Superior Court against American conservative podcaster and commentator Candace Owens. The suit alleges Owens launched a “campaign of global humiliation,” promoting false and malicious claims about Brigitte Macron’s identity and the couple’s relationship dynamics.
The case is Macron et al v Owens et al, Delaware Superior Court, No. N25C-07-194.
Allegations and Claims
The crux of the Macrons’ complaint centers on Owens’s eight‑episode podcast series, “Becoming Brigitte,” as well as related X posts and videos which has more than 2.3 million views on YouTube, and X posts linked to it.
According to the Macrons, the series spread “verifiably false and devastating lies,” including that Brigitte Macron stole another person’s identity and transitioned to female, and that the Macrons are blood relatives committing incest.
The allegations include:
- That Brigitte Macron was born Jean‑Michel Trogneux, lived as a man, transitioned to female, and stole her sister’s identity.
- That the Macrons are blood‑related and engaged in incest.
- That President Macron was “groomed” by a secret elite group and is effectively a CIA‑controlled puppet.
- Wild insinuations tying the couple to cults, pedophilia, forensic forgery, MKUltra‑style conspiracies, and other spurious wrongdoing.
The lawsuit asserts that Owens was aware these claims were false, citing a standardized “actual malice” standard required for defamation litigation involving public figures in the U.S.
Timeline of Dispute
- March 2024: Owens began repeating these narratives, even while at the Daily Wire, vowing to “stake [her] entire professional reputation” on them Clare Locke.
- December 2024: The Macrons issued their first formal retraction demand.
- January & July 2025: Two more demands were sent. Owens continued publishing episodes and X posts asserting the claims WBMA+4Clare Locke+4CBS News+4.
- July 23, 2025: The Macrons filed suit after concluding Owens refused to retract the allegations Reuters.
Legal and Jurisdictional Details
The suit names as defendants Owens herself, her company Candace Owens LLC, and her website operator GeorgeTom, Inc—all registered in Delaware—making venue and jurisdiction appropriate in that state Clare Locke+1CBS News+1. The plaintiffs are not specifying a damage amount; rather, they aim both to halt the spread of misinformation and hold Owens accountable.
Responses from Both Camps
- President and First Lady’s Statement: Their legal team described Owens’s behavior as a “campaign of defamation … plainly designed to harass and cause pain to us and our families and to garner attention and notoriety” ABC News+2Reuters+2CBS News+2.
- Owens’s Response: A spokesperson contended that this lawsuit is an attack on First‑Amendment rights, accusing the Macrons of bullying a U.S. journalist. Owens herself claimed she repeatedly sought an on‑camera interview with Brigitte Macron, only to be stonewalled WBMA+4Reuters+4CBS News+4.
The Macrons said the lies included that Brigitte Macron, 72, was born under the name Jean-Michel Trogneux, the actual name of her older brother.
“Owens has dissected their appearance, their marriage, their friends, their family, and their personal history — twisting it all into a grotesque narrative designed to inflame and degrade,” the complaint said.
“The result,” the complaint added, “is relentless bullying on a worldwide scale.”
In a statement, a spokesperson for Owens called the lawsuit itself an effort to bully her, after Brigitte Macron rejected Owens’ repeated requests for an interview.
“Candace Owens is not shutting up,” the spokesperson said. “This is a foreign government attacking the First Amendment rights of an American independent journalist.”
The lawsuit outlines the origins of the Macrons’ relationship, noting that Emmanuel Macron, now 47, was a high school student when he met Brigitte, who was a teacher at the time. It emphasizes that their relationship “remained within the bounds of the law.”
The complaint states that unfounded rumors about Brigitte Macron’s gender began circulating as early as 2021, gaining traction on popular conservative platforms, including podcasts hosted by Tucker Carlson and Joe Rogan.
In September, Brigitte Macron successfully sued two women in a French court—one of whom identified as a medium—for spreading these false claims. However, that ruling was overturned by an appeals court earlier this month. Brigitte has since taken the matter to France’s highest court.
Why It’s Uncommon
There have been few, if any, cases of sitting heads of state pursuing defamation litigation abroad. Even in the U.S., public figures like former President Donald Trump have high-profile suits (e.g., against The Wall Street Journal), but this marks a rare instance of international political figures taking U.S. legal action over conspiracy-driven claims.
🔍 What Happens Next?
- Owens must respond: Under Delaware court procedures, Owens and her associated corporate entities will be required to answer each of the 22 counts.
- Discovery phase: This could involve depositions, document discovery (e.g., correspondence, production data from Owens’s channels), and possible witness testimony.
- Potential appeals: The application of “actual malice” may be scrutinized, as the plaintiffs must demonstrate not just falsehood but that Owens either knew the statements were untrue or recklessly ignored facts.
- Global implications: Should the Macrons succeed, the case could set a precedent impacting cross-border defamation, especially as U.S. social media reaches global audiences.
Bottom Line
This suit illustrates a growing legal challenge: protecting reputations in an era of widespread conspiracy theories magnified by social media. While the Macrons assert a defense of dignity and truth, Owens portrays herself as a guardian of free speech under attack. The Delaware courts will serve as the next battleground—where First Amendment rights meet the responsibilities of public discourse.