Macrons file defamation lawsuit against right-wing commentator Candace Owens

French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, have filed a defamation lawsuit in the United States against American right-wing commentator and podcaster Candace Owens.

The legal action, lodged in Delaware Superior Court, accuses Owens of spreading a series of “verifiably false and devastating lies” about the couple, including claims that Brigitte Macron was born male and that President Macron is secretly gay.

The 22-count complaint centres on Owens’ podcast series Becoming Brigitte, which the Macrons say has subjected them to “relentless bullying on a worldwide scale.” The lawsuit alleges that Owens not only claimed Brigitte Macron was born a man and stole another person’s identity, but also suggested she had “groomed her allegedly gay husband”.

According to the filing, the Macrons issued multiple formal requests for retraction between December 2024 and July 2025, all of which were ignored. “We gave her every opportunity to back away from these claims, but she refused,” the couple said in a joint statement. “It is our earnest hope that this lawsuit will set the record straight and end this campaign of defamation once and for all.”

Owens responded defiantly to the defamation lawsuit on her podcast, saying: “I am fully prepared to take on this battle on behalf of the entire world… See you in court.”

Legal experts note that it is highly unusual for a sitting head of state to pursue a defamation case in a foreign jurisdiction. The Macrons’ legal team argues that the scale and persistence of the alleged misinformation campaign left them with no alternative.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and a jury trial, aiming to hold Owens accountable for what the Macrons describe as a deliberate attempt to “inflame and degrade” their personal lives for profit and notoriety.