French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, have filed a new, expansive defamation lawsuit in the United States against American conservative podcaster Candace Owens.
The Filing:
The massive 409-page complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee (where Owens is based), bringing 88 counts against Owens personally, including claims of defamation, false light, and defamation by implication.
The Core Allegations:
The lawsuit targets Owens for aggressively pushing and expanding upon discredited conspiracy theories—including her multi-part podcast series “Becoming Brigitte”—alleging that France’s first lady was born a man, that the couple are blood relatives, and that they committed fraud to cover it up.
Monetization and Malice:
The legal filing accuses Owens of using the false claims to drive web traffic, boost her independent media platform, sell merchandise mocking the first lady, and collect donations.
The new action directly follows a procedural hurdle in a previous lawsuit. The Macrons originally filed suit in Delaware in July 2025.
However, a Delaware judge dismissed Owens personally from that case, ruling that the state lacked direct personal jurisdiction over her (though the lawsuit was allowed to continue against her corporate entities in Delaware).
To hold Owens personally accountable, the Macrons’ legal team refiled the comprehensive action in Tennessee, where she resides and operates.
An official from Macron’s office confirmed the presidential couple filed a lawsuit, but referred to their personal lawyer in the US.
