NEED TO KNOW
- Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron have filed a lawsuit against conservative podcaster Candace Owens
- The president and first lady of France are taking the right-wing pot-stirrer to court over her repeated peddling of the conspiracy theory that Brigitte was born a man
- The theory has wide circulation online, with Owens previously stating that she would “stake [her] entire professional reputation” on it being true
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, are suing right-wing podcaster Candace Owens for peddling a conspiracy theory about the first lady.
Owens has become one of the most vocal proponents of an online theory that Brigitte was born a man, stole the identity of a woman and has been deceiving the public ever since. Many of the theories claim that the first lady was born a man named Jean-Michel Trogneux – who is actually Brigitte’s brother.
The couple’s 219-page lawsuit begins by noting that Owens stated on X in March 2024 that she would “stake [her] entire professional reputation on the fact that Brigitte Macron is in fact a man.”
The lawsuit continues, “Since then, Owens has used this false statement to promote her independent platform, gain notoriety, and make money. Owens disregarded all credible evidence disproving her claim in favor of platforming known conspiracy theorists and proven defamers. And rather than engage with President and Mrs. Macron’s attempts to set the record straight, Owens mocked them and used them as additional fodder for her frenzied fan base.”
In addition to posting about the theory on social media and frequently addressing it on her podcast, Owens also hosted an eight-part podcast series titled Becoming Brigitte.
But the gender conspiracy isn’t the only “outlandish, defamatory, and far-fetched fiction” the lawsuit accuses Owens of spreading about. The documents also state that she has claimed “Mrs. Macron and President Macron are blood relatives committing incest; President Macron was chosen to be the President of France as part of the CIA-operated MKUltra program or a similar mind-control program; and Mrs. Macron and President Macron are committing forgery, fraud, and abuses of power to conceal these secrets.”
“These claims are demonstrably false, and Owens knew they were false when she published them. Yet, she published them anyway, ” Emmanuel, 47, and Brigitte, 72, state in their suit. “And the reason is clear: it is not the pursuit of truth, but the pursuit of fame.”
“This is nothing new for Owens. She has built a brand on provocation, not truth. Owens labels herself as an independent ‘investigative journalist’ while routinely peddling misinformation under the guise of legitimate reporting… Her content is not intended to inform but to inflame and attract attention through sensationalism and conspiracy theories,” the lawsuit states.
The extensive lawsuit includes evidence like family photos and birth announcements, as well as the extent of Owens’ involvement with the conspiracy theory community.
“On July 8, 2024, [Owens] posted a photo on X of Owens in a t-shirt showcasing a fake Time magazine ‘Man of the Year’ cover featuring Mrs. Macron. The shirt sold out,” the lawsuit notes.
The Macrons are seeking a jury trial to award them “actual and presumed damages to be specifically determined at trial.”
In a statement to PEOPLE, a spokesperson for Owens responded to the lawsuit, saying, “Candace Owens is not shutting up. This is a foreign government attacking the First Amendment rights of an American independent journalist.”
The statement continues, “Candace repeatedly requested an interview with Brigitte Macron. Instead of offering a comment, Brigitte is resorting to trying to bully a reporter into submission. In France, politicians can bully journalists, but this is not France. It’s America. Candace will address everything on her show today, where she will continue to express her First Amendment rights.”
The lawsuit against Owens comes just a few weeks after a French judge overturned libel convictions against Amandine Roy, a “self-proclaimed spiritual medium,” and Natacha Rey, a “self-described independent journalist” for a YouTube video in which they peddle the same theories as the conservative podcaster. Both Roy and Rey are named in the Macrons’ new U.S. lawsuit, and Brigitte has appealed her case in France to the country’s highest court.
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The Macrons have been a target for plenty of attention over the years due to their unconventional relationship. The couple met when Emmanuel was a 15-year-old student at Le Providence, a Catholic school in northern France. Brigitte worked as a drama teacher and was 39 years old at the time. She was also married with three children.
When the future president’s parents found out that he had feelings for his teacher, they sent him away to boarding school in Paris. The couple reconnected later in life and tied the knot in 2007.
Brigitte has previously admitted that having an age gap in their relationship has been difficult at times.
“We are not a model couple,” she told France’s RTL radio station. “Of course we are not the ideal couple. Being a couple is complicated, it’s an everyday struggle… When you have a big age difference, it can be even more complicated.”
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