Candace Owens stands by claim Brigitte Macron is a man as French First Lady sues for defamation over slurs

“I stand by my remarks,” Owens declared on her podcast on Wednesday. “The life of Candace Owens, it works like this: I wake up, I stretch, I have a cup of coffee, and then I am served with a lawsuit.”

The Macrons filed a 219-page complaint in a Delaware court, accusing Owens of defamation, false light, and knowingly spreading false and defamatory claims for personal and financial gain. At the heart of the case is Owens’ repeated and unsubstantiated claim that Brigitte Macron was born male - a theory that has circulated in far-right online circles for years and was dismissed by French courts in 2023 as baseless.

“This was really a last resort,” said lead counsel Tom Clare, from the high-profile defamation law firm Clare Locke. “We have attempted to engage with (Owens) for the last year-putting evidence in front of her, request after request after request that she just simply do the right thing. Enough is enough.”

The Macrons' lawsuit accuses Owens of inventing and promoting falsehoods that Brigitte Macron transitioned genders, raped Emmanuel Macron as a minor, and is related to him by blood. The suit alleges Owens pursued these claims “in pursuit of fame,” relying on “non-credible sources” to push an “inherently improbable” conspiracy.

Evidence submitted includes childhood photographs of Brigitte Macron, a newspaper birth announcement, and records showing she gave birth to three children with her former husband. The suit seeks unspecified damages for reputational and emotional harm, saying the claims have led to global ridicule, damaged political relationships, and undermined confidence in the Macrons as national leaders.

Owens, who was fired from The Daily Wire in 2024 for antisemitism, dismissed the lawsuit on her podcast and framed it as proof she’s right. “If you need any more evidence that Brigitte Macron is definitely a man, it is just what is happening right now,” she said. “The idea that you would file this lawsuit is all of the proof that you need.”

She doubled down on the slurs, calling Brigitte a “groomer” and “peadophile,” referencing how the couple met when Emmanuel Macron was a student and Brigitte his teacher. The Macrons maintain that Emmanuel was 15, the legal age of consent in France, and that their relationship remained within legal bounds. “At all times, the teacher-student relationship between Mrs. Macron and President Macron remained within the bounds of the law,” the complaint states.

Despite receiving a formal retraction letter in December 2024 that “conclusively disproved” her claims, Owens continued her campaign, launching an eight-part video series titled Becoming Brigitte, which she aggressively monetized through ads and merchandise, including a “Man of the Year” shirt featuring Brigitte Macron.

“You’re trying to delegitimise the reporting by smearing my character,” Owens said in her podcast response. “You’re defaming me because you don’t want people to continue to watch the series. But I’m sorry, my friend, the train has left the station.”

She also dismissed the accusation that her actions amount to relentless bullying. “How old are you? Are you five years old? Really?” she said mockingly. Owens added: “You’ve met your match. We’re not going to shut up. You’re not going to bully us. Frankly, I find this all to be irresistible and delicious.”

She even claimed that Donald Trump had personally called her earlier this year, saying he confronted President Macron about his wife’s gender. She suggested, without evidence, that her legal team would seek to depose Trump and Brigitte. “My lawyer would be able to sit across and ask Brigitte Macron questions about her penis,” Owens said. “Brigitte would then be compelled for the first time to answer them under oath.”

The Macrons’ complaint argues that Owens has weaponised conspiracy theories for profit, citing “actual malice,” a legal threshold required for defamation cases involving public figures in the United States. It also connects her campaign to broader disinformation trends, noting how her claims were repeated by other influential voices, including Joe Rogan, who told his 20 million YouTube subscribers: “Yeah, Brigitte Macron’s a man. She got me hook, line, and sinker.”

An earlier ruling by a French court in 2023 found two of Owens’ alleged sources liable for libel. That decision was later overturned on appeal, but not because their statements were true, rather, the court said the defendants acted in “good faith.” The case is now before France’s highest court.

The Macrons’ legal team argues that Owens' continued refusal to retract her statements, and her attempts to monetise them, justify the lawsuit. “She will say anything, regardless of how outrageous or unfounded, to attract attention, build her platform, and achieve notoriety,” the complaint says.