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The French first lady and President Emmanuel Macron are suing Candace Owens over allegations Brigitte was born male.
French First Lady Brigitte Macron is prepared to take unprecedented steps to silence a viral conspiracy theory questioning her gender.
Brigitte, 72, and her husband, French President Emmanuel Macron, 47, have filed a defamation lawsuit against U.S. conservative commentator Candace Owens, accusing her of spreading a "global campaign of humiliation." Owens has repeatedly claimed that Brigitte was born male, alleging she stole the identity of her brother, Jean-Michel Trogneux.
Speaking with the BBC, the Macrons' attorney, Tom Clare, revealed that Brigitte plans to present both photographic and scientific evidence in a U.S. courtroom to confirm her identity as a woman. "It's incredibly upsetting that she has to put forward such proof, but she is firmly resolved to do whatever it takes to set the record straight," Clare said.
He explained that the evidence will include expert scientific testimony and may feature personal photographs, such as Brigitte during her pregnancies and raising her children. These, Clare emphasized, will only be shown in court under strict legal standards.
The defamation suit, filed in July 2025, alleges Owens "ignored all credible evidence" refuting the conspiracy, instead giving a platform to "known conspiracy theorists and proven defamers." Owens, 36, previously declared on X that she would "stake [her] entire professional reputation" on her belief that Brigitte is transgender. Her legal team has responded with a motion to dismiss the case, arguing it was filed in the wrong jurisdiction.
The conspiracy theory first surfaced online in 2021 through French bloggers Amandine Roy and Natacha Rey. While the Macrons initially won a defamation case in France, the ruling was later overturned on free speech grounds, prompting them to appeal to France's highest court. Roy and Rey are also named in the new U.S. lawsuit.
President Macron has spoken out about the emotional toll the rumors have taken. "When your family is under attack, it wears on you," Clare said on his behalf. "He's not immune from that, even as the leader of a country."
Owens maintains that her comments are protected by the First Amendment. In a statement, her team said, "This is a foreign government attacking the free speech rights of an American journalist."
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