French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, have taken legal action against prominent U.S. influencer Candace Owens over her persistent and baseless claim that Brigitte Macron was born male. The Macrons filed a defamation lawsuit in Delaware, accusing Owens of spreading “outlandish, defamatory and far-fetched fictions” through a popular podcast series with millions of listeners. Owens has repeatedly asserted this conspiracy theory online, including a video series titled Becoming Brigitte, and even pledged to stake her professional reputation on the claim by March 2024. The couple’s legal complaint emphasizes that Owens refused numerous requests to retract her statements, leaving litigation as their only option.

The lawsuit alleges that Owens’ campaign was designed to harass and distress the Macrons for personal gain, capitalizing on false claims such as Brigitte Macron’s alleged male birth identity under the name “Jean-Michel Trogneux,” a name linked to her brother. The Macrons’ legal team condemned these fabrications as “grotesque narratives,” underscoring the profound invasion of privacy and harassment the couple endures worldwide as a result. The complaint also challenges other conspiracies Owens promoted, including falsehoods about the couple’s relationship and President Macron’s ascension to power. Owens has responded by dismissing the lawsuit as a “desperate public relations strategy,” continuing to stand by her claims.

This legal battle follows a parallel dispute in France, where Brigitte Macron sued two women for spreading similar defamatory gender-related rumors. While an initial French court ruling found the two women guilty of libel, an appeals court recently overturned that decision, prompting an appeal to France’s highest court. The case against Owens highlights the ongoing tensions between protecting public figures from defamation and the expansive reach of online conspiracy theories amplified by high-profile influencers with large audiences.