A Campaign of Humiliation – Why Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron Are Suing Candace Owens

On July 23, 2025, Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of the U.S. state of Delaware against right-wing U.S. commentator and podcaster Candace Owens. The allegation: targeted, repeated, and publicly staged defamation in the form of an international smear campaign based on lies, conspiracy narratives, and deliberate humiliation. The lawsuit marks a rare instance in which a sitting president of a Western democracy personally takes legal action against a foreign media figure. At the center of the lawsuit is a statement by Owens from March 2024, in which she declared that she would stake her entire professional reputation on the claim that Brigitte Macron is in fact a man. This statement, according to the lawsuit, was not only false but part of a broader disinformation campaign through which Owens sought to expand her reach, make money, and serve a fanatical following. The attack on Brigitte Macron was neither spontaneous nor isolated, but part of an eight-part podcast series titled “Becoming Brigitte,” accompanied by X posts and YouTube videos with several million views. According to the complaint, Owens claimed that Brigitte Macron was born under the name Jean-Michel Trogneux – the name of Brigitte’s actual older brother – and had stolen her identity. Owens further claimed that Brigitte and Emmanuel Macron were blood relatives and committed incest, that Emmanuel Macron was part of a CIA-controlled mind control program (MKUltra), and that both Macrons engaged in forgery, identity fraud, and abuse of power to conceal these “secrets.”

The Macrons did not leave these accusations unanswered. Through their attorneys at the defamation-specialized law firm Clare Locke LLP – known for its success in the lawsuit against Fox News in the Dominion case – they sent Owens three formal retraction requests. All requests were ignored or even mocked. Instead of backing down, Owens, according to the complaint, further fueled the fire, mocked them, invented new allegations, and heavily promoted her series. In a joint statement, the Macrons said: Ms. Owens’ defamation campaign was clearly designed to harass us and our families, cause pain, and attract media attention. We gave her every opportunity to distance herself from these claims – but she refused. According to the complaint, the consequences were severe. The Macrons find themselves subjected to a global campaign of humiliation. Every time they leave their home, they must know that millions of people have heard these repugnant falsehoods – and that many believe them. The damage is not only personal but also financial: significant resources have been expended to correct the public discourse, including legal fees, media work, and security measures.

Candace Owens, on the other hand, sharply rejected the allegations in an initial response. The lawsuit, she said, was full of factual inaccuracies and part of a desperate PR strategy by the Macrons. In her podcast, she described it as an attack by a foreign head of state on the right of free speech of an American independent journalist. Her spokesperson added: In France, politicians may be able to bully journalists – but this is America. In fact, the bar for a successful defamation lawsuit in the U.S. is high. Public figures must not only prove that the statements were false but also that they were made with actual malice – that is, with intentional falsehood or reckless disregard for the truth. The lawsuit is therefore not only legally noteworthy but also politically charged. Brigitte Macron is not a first-time target of such campaigns. As early as 2021, similar rumors surfaced on social media, were picked up in right-wing podcasts – including shows by Joe Rogan and Tucker Carlson – and made their way into French Telegram channels. In France, she won a defamation lawsuit at the end of 2023 against two women, including a self-proclaimed clairvoyant. The verdict was overturned on appeal. Brigitte Macron has now appealed to France’s highest court. The new U.S. trial is likely to generate far greater media waves – also because the Macrons have signaled their willingness to appear in court in Delaware in person. The message is clear: a firm legal response is to be made against a systematic, publicly orchestrated dehumanization – and against the blending of political incitement with misogynistic conspiracy theories. Candace Owens has over 6.9 million followers on X and more than 4.5 million YouTube subscribers. According to the complaint, the podcast “Becoming Brigitte” has already been listened to more than 2.3 million times. Whether the lawsuit will succeed remains to be seen. What is certain, however, is this: a president and his wife have chosen the courtroom to defend their dignity – against a woman who draws her power from contempt.

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