French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, have filed a lawsuit against right-wing commentator Candace Owens over a 'humiliating' conspiracy theory.
The podcaster is accused of having contributed to the false conspiracy theory that Brigitte ‘is in fact a man’.
The French president and his wife are seeking a jury trial and punitive damages - essentially a monetary award meant to punish defendants for their misconduct and discourage others from engaging in similar acts.
For Macron and his wife to succeed under US defamation law, Owens is required to have shown ‘actual malice’ - meaning it must be proven that Owens knew all the noise was false or had a ‘reckless disregard for the truth’.
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One of the more outlandish claims noted in the suit is that Owens said Brigitte was born male under the name Jean-Michel Trogneux, and that she stole the identity of a woman.
According to the Financial Times, Owens suggested that Macron and his wife are ‘blood relatives’, while Owens is said to have claimed the French leader is a product of a CIA human experiment or ‘government mind control programme’.
The lawsuit states Owens' 'lies have caused tremendous damage to the Macrons’ and caused a ‘campaign of global humiliation, turning their lives into fodder for profit-driven lies’.
"These claims are demonstrably false, and Owens knew they were false when she published them. Yet, she published them anyway," Macron and his wife state in the suit.
"And the reason is clear: it is not the pursuit of truth, but the pursuit of fame."
The lawsuit continues: "This is nothing new for Owens. She has built a brand on provocation, not truth. Owens labels herself as an independent 'investigative journalist' while routinely peddling misinformation under the guise of legitimate reporting.
"Her content is not intended to inform but to inflame and attract attention through sensationalism and conspiracy theories."
The couple went on to say that Owens' comments have 'dissected their appearance, their marriage, their friends, their family, and their personal history', which has led to 'relentless bullying' from people across the globe.
"Every time the Macrons leave their home, they do so knowing that countless people have heard, and many believe, these vile fabrications. It is invasive, dehumanizing, and deeply unjust," the lawsuit continues.
"Owens was repeatedly presented with credible, verifiable evidence disproving her claims - including documentation, public records, and direct outreach from the Macrons."
UNILAD has reached out to Owens for comment.
Topics: Emmanuel Macron, France, Politics, US News
Callum Jones