French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron have filed a defamation lawsuit in Delaware against U.S. podcaster Candace Owens, whose claims about Brigitte’s identity have been circulating for more than a year.
The 200-page complaint, filed Wednesday, accuses Owens of repeatedly asserting that Brigitte Macron “was born a man named Jean‑Michel Trogneux, stole another person’s identity, and transitioned to become Brigitte.” The Macrons say those statements are false, defamatory, and intended to damage their reputations.
Brigitte Macron, wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, clarifies that the transgender rumors concerning her are entirely untrue.
Do you believe her? pic.twitter.com/yVObqf1Kaw
— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) March 15, 2024
This is not the first time Brigitte Macron has faced such rumors. In 2021, the Macrons successfully sued two French women — a clairvoyant and a self-described journalist — who made similar claims. But the chatter hasn’t stopped. In March 2024, the Macrons even took the unusual step of publicly denying the allegation.
Owens, however, has continued to push the theory. In January, she released an eight-part podcast series digging into Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron’s relationship. Among her claims:
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“I believe that Emmanuel Macron is a homosexual man that was groomed from his youth… I believe that his wife was born Jean‑Michel Trogneux and transitioned in his early 30s, and I believe that the entire state is colluding to protect that secret.”
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“Mrs. Macron and President Macron are blood relatives committing incest.”
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“President Macron was chosen to be the president of France as part of the CIA‑operated MKUltra program or a similar mind‑control program.”
The lawsuit also cites Owens’s posts on X (formerly Twitter), including: “Emmanuel Macron married a man. Which was illegal at the time that he did it,” and “Because his marriage was an illegal act. Emmanuel Macron broke the law when he married his groomer.”
Owens, who has faced criticism for trafficking in conspiracy theories, said in one episode she would “stake [her] entire professional career” on her claims about the French First Lady.
It’s unlikely this lawsuit will have any real impact on U.S.-France relations, but it promises to be a spectacle. Discovery in the case could include depositions of the Macrons, an outcome that observers note would be politically explosive — and, as some commentators dryly suggest, darkly entertaining.
