Macrons push back against transphobic conspiracy with scientific evidence
– 1 min read
French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron are preparing to present what their legal team calls “scientific” evidence to debunk a baseless conspiracy theory claiming Brigitte is a trans woman.
The couple has filed a defamation lawsuit in the United States against far-right commentator Candace Owens, who has repeatedly promoted the false claim that Brigitte was assigned male at birth and transitioned before marrying Emmanuel Macron. Owens has gone so far as to allege that Brigitte “groomed” the future president while he was a teenager - an accusation widely condemned as both defamatory and deeply offensive.
Tom Clare, the Macrons’ American lawyer, stated on the BBC’s Fame Under Fire podcast that the couple is prepared to demonstrate “fully both generically and specifically” that Owens’ claims are false. Clare confirmed that the trial will include “expert testimony that will be scientific in nature,” though he declined to detail the exact form of the evidence.
The lawsuit, filed earlier this summer, marks a significant moment in the fight against digital disinformation and transphobic rhetoric. While the Macrons are not trans, the nature of the allegations - and the vitriol with which they’ve been spread - has alarmed LGBTQ+ advocates, who see the case as emblematic of a broader trend: the weaponisation of transphobia to discredit and humiliate public figures, particularly women.
Clare added, the process is “incredibly intrusive for this family,” but the Macrons are committed to setting the record straight in a public forum governed by facts - not conspiracy.
Candace Owens has built a reputation as one of the most vocal purveyors of anti-trans rhetoric in right-wing media. Over the years, she has repeatedly misgendered and deadnamed trans individuals, accused LGBTQ+ people of being a "sexual plague on society," and falsely linked gender-affirming healthcare to mass shootings - claims widely discredited by experts and law enforcement.
Her YouTube channel was demonetised for violating hate speech policies, with videos targeting trans celebrities, youth, and public figures like JoJo Siwa and Dwyane Wade’s daughter.
