French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, will present photographic and scientific evidence in a United States court to demonstrate that the first lady is a woman, as part of a defamation lawsuit against conservative blogger Candace Owens.
The American influencer has repeatedly claimed that Brigitte Macron was born a man, an assertion that the couple describes as "incredibly disturbing" and "defamatory".
The Macrons' lawyer, Tom Clare, stated in an interview with the BBC that the process will be "painful" for the first lady, but she is "100% willing" to undergo public exposure in order to "reestablish the truth". He revealed that the case will include expert testimonies, scientific evidence, as well as family photographs of Brigitte pregnant and raising her children.
Owens, a former contributor to the conservative outlet Daily Wire with millions of followers on social media, has even stated that she would put her "entire professional reputation" on the line in defense of the accusation. The origin of the rumor dates back to 2021 when two French bloggers spread a video on YouTube fueling the conspiracy theory.
In 2024, the Macrons won a defamation lawsuit in France against the creators of the video, but the ruling was overturned in 2025 on appeal on grounds of freedom of expression. Now, the French president and his wife have decided to take the case to American justice.
The lawsuit, filed in July, accuses Owens of "deliberately ignoring credible evidence" and "giving voice to known conspiracy theorists and defamers". In the US, plaintiffs must prove "actual malice" in such proceedings, meaning that the accused disseminated false information knowingly or with reckless disregard for the truth.
On the other hand, Owens' lawyers have requested the dismissal of the case arguing that Delaware, the state where the lawsuit was filed, lacks jurisdiction, as her businesses are registered there but not related to the matter. They also argue that defending herself in that court would cause her "substantial financial and operational difficulties".
Emmanuel Macron justified the legal action in an interview with Paris Match: "It's about defending my honor. It's someone who knew perfectly well that they had false information and did it with the aim of causing harm, in service of an ideology and with links to the far right".