Translation: Brigitte Macron takes legal action against transphobic slanderous claim
Brigitte Macron, the First Lady of France, and her husband, President Emmanuel Macron, have filed a defamation lawsuit against far-right influencer Candace Owens in Delaware state court last month (July 2025). The lawsuit alleges that Owens falsely accused Brigitte Macron of being born a man and concocted other defamatory conspiracy theories, including allegations of incest and abuse of power.
The Macrons seek damages on 22 counts of defamation and false light, arguing these claims have caused them tremendous harm and are demonstrably false, supported by evidence such as birth announcements and family history.
Emmanuel Macron recently explained that the couple pursued the lawsuit because false claims had become widespread in the United States, necessitating a legal response to defend the truth. He emphasized that the couple is committed to pursuing the case fully to have the truth respected, describing Owens’ allegations as "nonsense."
Candace Owens has responded defiantly, indicating the legal battle will continue and suggesting she anticipates a corrupt judicial outcome favoring the Macrons, reflecting her pattern of provocative misinformation. Owens appears fully prepared to contest the suit in court.
This is not the first time Brigitte Macron has been targeted by disinformation campaigns. In a now-deleted podcast episode, Candace Owens claimed that Brigitte Macron and her brother, Jean-Michel Trogneux, are the same person. Conspiracy theorists and the far right have spread these rumors online, according to France24.
The defamation lawsuit filed by Brigitte Macron against Roy and Rey is a response to the harmful and transphobic political smears about her gender. President Emmanuel Macron has recently denounced these rumors as "false and fabricated."
In a court hearing on Wednesday 19 June 2024, Roy stated that she had merely "acquiesced to [Natacha Rey's] request" to spread the conspiracy theory about Brigitte Macron. The alleged original source of the conspiracy is a four-hour YouTube video from 2021 featuring spiritual medium Amandine Roy and journalist Natacha Rey.
This marks the first court hearing regarding the conspiracy theory about Brigitte Macron's gender. The name "Jean-Michel Trogneux" went viral as a hashtag on X, formerly Twitter. Candace Owens also reportedly said that Trogneux lived as a man for 30 years, fathered five children, and then transitioned at the age of 30 to become Brigitte.
These disinformation campaigns against influential women, including Brigitte Macron, Michelle Obama, and Jacinda Ardern, are part of a growing trend. Conservative talk show host Piers Morgan made a bet with Candace Owens that Brigitte Macron, France's First Lady, was born a woman.
As of late August 2025, no resolution or dismissal of the lawsuit has been reported, so the case remains ongoing.
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