Article Information
- Author, Mike Wendling
- Role, BBC News
- X, @mwendling
- 24 July 2025, 08:03 WAT
- New Informate 10 minutes wey don pass
French President Emmanuel Macron and im wife Brigitte don file one defamation lawsuit against right-wing influencer Candace Owens, wey claim say dem born France first lady as male.
Di legal action, wey dem file on Wednesday for di US state of Delaware, say Owens dey spread “outlandish, defamatory, and far-fetched fictions”.
Owens don regularly repeat di claims for her popular podcast and social media channels, and for March 2024 say she go stake her “entire professional reputation” on her belief say Mrs Macron “na in fact a man”.
For one episode of her podcast wey dem release on Wednesday, Owens stand by her allegations and refer to di lawsuit say: “This is just goofy.”
Owens yab di French first lady and describe di suit by her as “obvious, desperate public relations strategy”.
Di conspiracy theory wey don circulate for years online allege say dem born Mrs Macron as male under di name of Jean-Michel Trogneux, wey belong to her brother.
Owens don spread di conspiracy theory to her audiences, including nearly 7m followers on X. Earlier dis year, she release one video series titled Becoming Brigitte.
Di Macrons tok for statement wey dia lawyers release say dem bin don ask Owens again and again to take her words back, but “dem ultimately conclude say taking di mata to a court of law na di only remaining avenue for remedy”.
“Ms Owens’ campaign of defamation dey plainly designed to harass and cause pain to us and our families and to get her attention,” di statement tok.
“We give her every opportunity to back away from dis claims, but she refuse.”
Di lawsuit allege say Owens “disregard all credible evidence disproving her claim in favor of pushing known conspiracy theorists and defamers wey don dey proven”.
E also accuse Owens of falsely alleging say di French president and im wife be blood relatives and say Emmanuel Macron dey installed in office by one secret CIA plot.
Owens bin work for conservative organisations including di student group Turning Point and media outlet Daily Wire before she launch her independent podcast for 2024.
Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images
Wetin we call dis foto, Owens don work for some conservative media outlets and organisations
She don since spread rumours or suggest say conspiracies lie behind tins like Covid vaccines, the Holocaust and di moon landings.
Di lawsuit also name her Delaware-headquarter companies and ask for damages.
Under US law, di Macrons go need to prove “actual malice” – meaning say di defendant know say di information na lie, but publish or broadcast am anyway.
For September, one French court find two women guilty of libel for spreading di false claims about Brigitte Macron, however, dat decision bin dey overturned on appeal earlier dis month, according to local media.
Owens dey married to George Farmer, one British-American entrepreneur and di son of Baron Michael Farmer, one House of Lords peer and former Conservative Party treasurer wey don distance imself from some of im daughter-in-law views.
