Macron sues blogger in the US: scientific evidence to defend his wife from ‘transgender’ slander
18 September 2025 21:34
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron have filed a defamation lawsuit against American blogger Candice Owens.
Their lawyer Tom Clare told about it on a BBC podcast, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
The conflict was caused by statements made by Owens that Brigitte was allegedly born by a man named Jean-Michel Tronje. These conspiracy theories were widely publicized before the French presidential election in 2022.
The course of the trial
- According to the Macrons’ lawyer, Tom Clare, the couple will present “photographic and scientific evidence” in the US court to confirm that Brigitte is a woman.
- The documents and expert testimony will be of a scientific nature, but their content has not yet been disclosed.
- The lawyer emphasized that despite the emotional fatigue of these attacks, Brigitte is ready to “take on this burden” to defend the truth.
- There are photographs of Brigitte during her pregnancy that will be presented as evidence.
Arguments and position of the defendant
- Blogger Candice Owens insists on freedom of speech and considers her statements to be true.
- Owens’ lawyers have filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, citing jurisdictional grounds (the case is not related to the defendant’s business in Delaware), as well as significant financial and operational difficulties.
- In the United States, in defamation of public figures cases, plaintiffs must prove that they knowingly disseminated false information or ignored the truth.
Background and public outcry
- The conspiracy claims about Brigitte Macron’s “transgenderism” first gained popularity in the run-up to the 2022 elections and were actively spread on social media and podcasts, including the Owens’ “Becoming Brigitte” series.
- Brigitte and Emmanuel Macron have been married since 2007 and have no children together, but Brigitte has three adult children from a previous marriage.
- The couple was also criticized on the Internet for their significant age difference of 25 years.
As a reminder, since 2021, attention to the personal lives of state leaders in France and around the world has increased significantly due to the spread of information on social media and political polarization. Conspiracy theories, often without evidence, are used to discredit politicians and their families.
In the United States, freedom of speech is a fundamental right, which complicates defamation lawsuits, especially involving public figures, as the law requires proof of intent by the defendant. This creates precedents when such cases are considered not only because of the facts, but also in the context of political, cultural or information wars.
In the case of the Macrons, this trial is important not only for the couple’s reputation, but also for protecting the right to privacy in the digital age, as well as for countering disinformation that can affect the political image of world leaders.
