In a high-profile legal battle that could reshape international defamation law, French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron have filed a lawsuit in the United States against conservative commentator Candace Owens, accusing her of spreading deeply damaging and false claims about the French First Lady’s identity.
The defamation suit, filed in Delaware, spans 218 pages and outlines 22 counts against Owens. It alleges that she repeatedly peddled baseless conspiracy theories suggesting that Brigitte Macron was born a man, had engaged in incest, and was tied to CIA mind-control programs.
According to the court filing, the Macrons characterize Owens’ actions as “relentless bullying,” accusing her of orchestrating a coordinated smear campaign aimed at undermining their credibility and causing personal distress.
President Macron’s legal representatives described the lawsuit as “clear-cut,” stating that the misinformation promoted by Owens crossed the line of protected speech under the First Amendment and inflicted serious reputational harm on Brigitte Macron.
Owens, however, has not backed down. In a defiant response posted on social media, she wrote, “See you in court,” dismissing the lawsuit as a “PR stunt” by the French president and doubling down on her statements by invoking free speech protections.
If the lawsuit succeeds, legal analysts say it could set a powerful precedent for how courts in the U.S. handle defamation cases involving international political figures—especially when the alleged damage stems from widely shared conspiracy theories.
