Macrons sue Candace Owens over claim France's first lady was born male

French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte filed a defamation lawsuit in the US on Wednesday against American influencer Candace Owens for widely spreading false claims that the First Lady "was born male."

Such conspiracy theories have periodically circulated on French social media since Macron’s 2017 election but gained international traction after Owens released a video series titled “Becoming Brigitte” starting in January 2025. The content was first teased in March 2024 and has since gone viral, particularly in the United States.

According to Agence France-Presse, the Macrons filed the suit in Delaware, seeking an unspecified amount in damages. Their legal team argued that Owens knowingly spread disinformation for fame and profit, refusing all requests to retract her statements. Owens has 6.9 million followers on X and 4.7 million subscribers on YouTube.

The lawsuit claims Owens launched a defamatory campaign based on debunked conspiracy theories, alleging that Brigitte Macron, née Trogneux, did not exist before her brother Jean-Michel assumed her identity after a gender transition.

In France, similar claims led to a legal case in 2022 against Natacha Rey and Amandine Roy, who were ordered to pay thousands of euros in damages, though they were acquitted on appeal this July. Brigitte Macron and her brother are currently appealing that decision.

The case underscores how disinformation, conspiracy theories, and political agendas continue to overlap and escalate across borders in the age of viral content.