Thu Jul 24 06:29:14 UTC 2025: ## Macron’s Sue US Podcaster Candace Owens Over ‘Devastating Lies’ About Brigitte
**Delaware, USA** – French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, have filed a defamation lawsuit against right-wing US podcaster Candace Owens, alleging she spread “verifiably false and devastating lies” about the French First Lady. The 218-page complaint, filed in Delaware Superior Court on Wednesday, seeks a jury trial and unspecified punitive damages.
The lawsuit stems from an eight-part YouTube and podcast series titled “Becoming Brigitte,” in which Owens allegedly claimed that Brigitte Macron used to be a man, stole another person’s identity, and that the Macrons are blood relatives engaged in incest. The Macrons’ lawyer stated they filed the lawsuit after Owens repeatedly ignored requests to retract the defamatory statements. They assert that the series was “designed to harass and cause pain” and garner attention for Owens.
In a statement, the Macrons said, “We gave her every opportunity to back away from these claims, but she refused. It is our earnest hope that this lawsuit will set the record straight and end this campaign of defamation once and for all.”
Owens has countered the lawsuit, claiming it is “littered with factual inaccuracies” and part of a “desperate public relations strategy” to smear her character. A spokesperson for Owens described the lawsuit as an effort to bully her, arguing that it constitutes “a foreign government attacking the First Amendment rights of an American independent journalist.”
The case is a rare instance of a world leader pursuing legal action for defamation. To prevail, the Macrons must prove that Owens acted with “actual malice,” meaning she knew the information was false or acted with reckless disregard for its truth. The case highlights the challenges and complexities of free speech and defamation law in the context of online platforms and political discourse.
The legal battle is expected to be closely watched, particularly given previous instances of political figures pursuing defamation claims, including former US President Donald Trump.
First Piper 