French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, have expanded their libel case against American conservative commentator Candace Owens, accusing her of intensifying false claims about the first lady’s gender in order to profit from controversy.
The amended complaint, filed in Delaware, alleges that Owens has “doubled down” on defamatory remarks since the Macrons’ initial suit in July. Lawyers for the couple argue that Owens has exploited the allegations to grow her following — now more than 7.2 million on X and 5.2 million on YouTube — while selling merchandise and soliciting donations.
“Since we filed this lawsuit, Ms Owens has only strengthened our case by doubling down on, and escalating, her knowingly false and defamatory rhetoric against the Macrons,” the legal team said. “She has continued to use her podcast to expand her lies, sell merchandise, and collect donations.”
Owens, 36, recently launched a new season of her series Becoming Brigitte, in which she repeated claims that Brigitte Macron, 72, was born male — an assertion widely debunked but persistent since 2021. The updated lawsuit also cites her suggestion of a conspiracy involving the Macrons to distract from unrelated U.S. political controversies.
The French president has acknowledged the risks of the so-called “Streisand effect,” whereby legal action can fuel further attention to false claims. “They advised us not to sue,” Macron told Paris Match in July, but said the disinformation had reached such scale in the U.S. that it was necessary to act.
The couple is seeking “substantial” punitive damages in a case that now runs to 250 pages. Their U.S. lawyer, Tom Clare, said they intend to present medical and photographic evidence demonstrating that Brigitte Macron is a woman, including proof of her pregnancies and children.
Owens has dismissed the lawsuit as a “public relations strategy” and vowed to continue her campaign. “On behalf of the entire world, I will see you in court,” she declared, even calling for Brigitte Macron to undergo an invasive medical examination.
Winning a defamation case in the U.S. is notoriously difficult for public figures, as it requires proving both falsehood and “actual malice.” The Macrons’ lawyers repeatedly stress malice in their filing, using the term more than 100 times.
