French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte have filed a defamation lawsuit against American conservative commentator Candice Owens, CNN reported, reports News.bg.
The case was filed in the Delaware State Supreme Court and contains 22 charges related to what the couple's lawyers call a “relentless year-long defamation campaign“.
In March 2024, Owens posted a YouTube video titled “Is the First Lady of France a Man?“, in which he revived the conspiracy theory that Brigitte Macron is a man. She subsequently spread the claim through a series of videos and even products related to this thesis.
The family's lawyer, Tom Clare, said that Macron and his wife repeatedly urged Owens to end the campaign a year ago, but she refused, which necessitated the filing of the lawsuit as a “last resort“.
The lawsuit states that Owens was the first to promote these “baseless and defamatory“ allegations to an American and international audience, which led to “significant economic damage“ for the presidential couple, including lost business opportunities.
In response to the accusations, Candice Owens posted photos and videos on social media in which she described the lawsuit as a “desperate PR strategy“.
As early as 2022 Brigitte Macron has filed a lawsuit in France against two women who spread similar claims. Although she initially won the case, it was appealed and is currently being heard by a higher court.
The complaint stresses that the claims are completely false and refuted by irrefutable evidence, including medical and legal documents. It also rejects rumors that Bridget is related to the president or that the family is under external control.
Macron's lawyers are demanding punitive damages, the value of which will be "significant" if Owens does not stop his actions.
In March this year, Emmanuel Macron told journalists that one of the most difficult parts of the presidency is dealing with "false information and fabricated stories" that affect the private lives of him and his wife.
The Elysee Palace described the case as a "personal matter" and refused official comment.