Paris/Washington, July 22, 2025 — French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron have filed a defamation lawsuit in the United States against conservative influencer and podcaster Candace Owens, after she falsely claimed that Brigitte Macron was born male.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in the Delaware Superior Court, accuses Owens of leading a “global campaign of humiliation” filled with lies intended to boost her podcast’s popularity and increase her following, according to court documents cited by Reuters.
Among the defamatory claims was the allegation that the 72-year-old First Lady was born under the name “Jean-Michel Trogneux,” the actual name of her elder brother. The Macrons’ legal team firmly denied these assertions as baseless and deeply offensive.
In a joint statement released through their attorneys, the Macrons said they were compelled to take legal action after Owens ignored three formal requests to retract her statements.
“This lawsuit is not only about protecting personal dignity, but also about standing against the spread of malicious disinformation,” the statement reads.
The case marks a rare move by a sitting head of state to file a defamation suit abroad, signaling the seriousness with which the French presidential couple views the allegations.
