Controversial media figure Candace Owens is now at the center of an international legal battle, as French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte have filed a defamation lawsuit against her. The couple is accusing Owens of spreading what they call “invasive, dehumanizing, and deeply unjust” rumors—specifically, a conspiracy theory claiming that Brigitte Macron is secretly a transgender woman.
The Macrons issued a lengthy statement to The Guardian, slamming the accusations as “outlandish, defamatory, and far-fetched fictions,” which include claims that “Mrs Macron was born a man, stole another person’s identity, and transitioned to become Brigitte; 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.”
They added, “Because Ms Owens systematically reaffirmed these falsehoods in response to each of our attorneys’ repeated requests for a retraction, we ultimately concluded that referring the matter to a court of law was the only remaining avenue. Ms Owens’ campaign of defamation was plainly designed to harass and cause pain to us and our families and to garner attention and notoriety. We gave her every opportunity to back away from these claims, but she refused. It is our earnest hope that this lawsuit will set the record straight and end this campaign of defamation once and for all.”
According to the Macrons, the conspiracy theories have triggered a wave of “global humiliation” and “relentless bullying,” pushing them to spend significant amounts of money trying to correct the public narrative.
Owens didn’t hesitate to respond. On Wednesday, she posted a photo of the French first couple on Instagram with the caption, “I will be coming for this wig today. Stay tuned.” She also promised to address the situation on her next podcast episode.
A spokesperson for Owens also issued a statement to The Guardian, framing the lawsuit as an attack on free speech: “This is a foreign government attacking the First Amendment rights of an American independent journalist. 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.”