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French president and wife sue U.S. podcaster for claiming Brigitte Macron was born male
French president and wife sue U.S. podcaster for claiming Brigitte Macron was born male

CBC

time28 minutes ago

  • Politics
  • CBC

French president and wife sue U.S. podcaster for claiming Brigitte Macron was born male

French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife filed a defamation lawsuit in the U.S. on Wednesday against right-wing influencer and podcaster Candace Owens after she claimed that Brigitte Macron is male. The Macrons said in a lawsuit filed in Delaware Superior Court that Owens has waged a lie-filled "campaign of global humiliation" to promote her podcast and expand her "frenzied" fan base. The couple said the lies included that Brigitte Macron, 72, was born under the name Jean-Michel Trogneux, the actual name of her older brother. "Owens has dissected their appearance, their marriage, their friends, their family, and their personal history twisting it all into a grotesque narrative designed to inflame and degrade," the complaint said. "The result," it added, "is relentless bullying on a worldwide scale." In a statement, a spokesperson for Owens called the lawsuit itself an effort to bully her, after Brigitte Macron rejected Owens's repeated requests for an interview. "Candace Owens is not shutting up," the spokesperson said. "This is a foreign government attacking the First Amendment rights of an American independent journalist." In a joint statement released by their lawyers, the Macrons said they sued after Owens rejected three demands that she retract defamatory statements. "Ms. Owens's campaign of defamation was plainly designed to harass and cause pain to us and our families and to garner attention and notoriety," the Macrons said. "We gave her every opportunity to back away from these claims, but she refused." Rare for world leader to sue Wednesday's lawsuit is a rare case of a world leader suing for defamation. U.S. President Donald Trump has also turned to the courts, including in a $10-billion US lawsuit accusing the Wall Street Journal of defaming him by claiming he created a lewd birthday greeting for disgraced late financier Jeffrey Epstein in 2003. The Journal said it would defend itself against that case and had full confidence in its reporting. In December, meanwhile, Trump reached a $15-million US settlement with Walt Disney-owned ABC over an inaccurate claim that a jury found him liable for rape, rather than sexual assault, in a civil lawsuit. To prevail in U.S. defamation cases, public figures must show that defendants engaged in "actual malice," a tough legal standard requiring proof the defendants knew what they published was false or had reckless disregard for its truth. Owens has more than 6.9 million followers on social media platform X and more than 4.5 million YouTube subscribers. WATCH | The Macrons made headlines in May over airplane interaction: Macron pushed in the face as he prepares to deplane 2 months ago French President Emmanuel Macron's office is downplaying a moment on a plane in which a woman, later reported to be his wife, Brigitte, appeared to push away Macron's face as cameras captured the moment from the tarmac. The Macrons' lawsuit focuses on the eight-part podcast Becoming Brigitte, which has more than 2.3 million views on YouTube, and X posts linked to it. According to the Macrons, the series spread "verifiably false and devastating lies," including that Brigitte Macron stole another person's identity and transitioned to female, and that the Macrons are blood relatives committing incest. The complaint discusses circumstances under which the Macrons met, when the now 47-year-old president was a high school student and Brigitte was a teacher. It said their relationship "remained within the bounds of the law." According to the complaint, baseless speculation about Brigitte Macron's gender began surfacing in 2021, and the topic has been discussed on popular American podcasts hosted by Tucker Carlson and Joe Rogan, who have many conservative followers. In September, Brigitte Macron won a lawsuit in a French court against two women, including a self-described medium, who contributed to spreading rumours about her gender.

French president Macron sues right-wing podcaster over claim France's first lady was born male
French president Macron sues right-wing podcaster over claim France's first lady was born male

Reuters

timean hour ago

  • Politics
  • Reuters

French president Macron sues right-wing podcaster over claim France's first lady was born male

July 23 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte filed a defamation lawsuit in the U.S. on Wednesday against right-wing influencer and podcaster Candace Owens, centered on her claim that France's first lady is male. The Macrons said in a complaint filed in Delaware Superior Court that Owens has waged a lie-filled "campaign of global humiliation" to promote her podcast and expand her "frenzied" fan base. These lies included that Brigitte Macron, 72, was born under the name Jean-Michel Trogneux, the actual name of her older brother, the Macrons said. "Owens has dissected their appearance, their marriage, their friends, their family, and their personal history — twisting it all into a grotesque narrative designed to inflame and degrade," the complaint said. "The result," the complaint added, "is relentless bullying on a worldwide scale." In her podcast on Wednesday, Owens said, "This lawsuit is littered with factual inaccuracies," and part of an "obvious and desperate public relations strategy" to smear her character. Owens also said she did not know a lawsuit was coming, though lawyers for both sides had been communicating since January. A spokesperson for Owens called the lawsuit itself an effort to bully her, after Brigitte Macron rejected Owens' repeated requests for an interview. "This is a foreign government attacking the First Amendment rights of an American independent journalist," the spokesperson said. In a joint statement released by their lawyers, the Macrons said they sued after Owens rejected three demands that she retract defamatory statements. "Ms. Owens's campaign of defamation was plainly designed to harass and cause pain to us and our families and to garner attention and notoriety," the Macrons said. "We gave her every opportunity to back away from these claims, but she refused." Wednesday's lawsuit is a rare case of a world leader suing for defamation. U.S. President Donald Trump has also turned to the courts, including in a $10 billion lawsuit accusing The Wall Street Journal of defaming him by claiming he created a lewd birthday greeting for disgraced late financier Jeffrey Epstein in 2003. The Journal said it would defend against that case and had full confidence in its reporting. In December, meanwhile, Trump reached a $15 million settlement with Walt Disney-owned ABC (DIS.N), opens new tab over an inaccurate claim that a jury found him liable for rape, rather than sexual assault, in a civil lawsuit. To prevail in U.S. defamation cases, public figures must show defendants engaged in "actual malice," a tough legal standard requiring proof the defendants knew what they published was false or had reckless disregard for its truth. Owens has more than 6.9 million followers on X and more than 4.5 million YouTube subscribers. The Macrons' lawsuit focuses on the eight-part podcast "Becoming Brigitte," which has more than 2.3 million views on YouTube, and X posts linked to it. According to the Macrons, the series spread "verifiably false and devastating lies," including that Brigitte Macron stole another person's identity and transitioned to female, and that the Macrons are blood relatives committing incest. The complaint discusses circumstances under which the Macrons met, when the now 47-year-old president was a high school student and Brigitte was a teacher. It said their relationship "remained within the bounds of the law." According to the complaint, baseless speculation about Brigitte Macron's gender began surfacing in 2021, and the topic has been discussed on popular podcasts hosted by Tucker Carlson and Joe Rogan, who have many conservative followers. In September, Brigitte won a lawsuit in a French court against two women, including a self-described medium, who contributed to spreading rumors about her gender. An appeals court overturned that decision this month, and Brigitte Macron has appealed to France's highest court. The case is Macron et al v Owens et al, Delaware Superior Court, No. N25C-07-194.

Candace Owens Accuses Brigitte Macron Of Bullying Her With Defamation Suit Over Claims French First Lady Was Born A Man: 'Candace Owens Is Not Shutting Up'
Candace Owens Accuses Brigitte Macron Of Bullying Her With Defamation Suit Over Claims French First Lady Was Born A Man: 'Candace Owens Is Not Shutting Up'

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Politics
  • Yahoo

Candace Owens Accuses Brigitte Macron Of Bullying Her With Defamation Suit Over Claims French First Lady Was Born A Man: 'Candace Owens Is Not Shutting Up'

UPDATED with Candace Owens statement: P.T. Barnum once said 'no publicity is bad publicity,' but hard to tell if Candace Owens would agree or disagree today. The conservative contrarian's 'outlandish, defamatory and far-fetched fictions' that French First Lady Brigitte Macron was born a man are totally false, a defamation lawsuit filed Wednesday by France President Emmanuel Macron and his spouse assert. The Élysée Palace occupants allege that the conspiracy-peddling Owens attacked the couple incessantly 'to promote her independent platform, gain notoriety and make money.' More from Deadline Candace Owens, Right Wing Firebrand, Parts Ways With The Daily Wire Trump Celebrity Supporters: Famous Folks In Favor Of The 47th President Skydance Commits To CBS News Ombudsman, Pledges No DEI Policies As Company Seeks FCC Greenlight Of Paramount Merger It's an effort that the Macrons and their Tom Clare-led U.S. lawyers have to admit is working out for MAGA-courting Owens with her podcast loyalists, YouTube watchers and millions of social media followers. Owens 'has built a brand on provocation, not truth,' the suit says. 'The clicks kept coming, so Owens kept going, seizing every opportunity to promote her salacious claims,' exclaims the action filed Wednesday in Delaware state court. 'Rather than engage with President and Mrs. Macron's attempts to set the record straight, Owens mocked them and used them as additional fodder for her frenzied fan base,' the filing adds in one of its few understated moments. Full of tales of incest, murder, criminal conspiracy, the CIA's MKUltra mind-control program, cameos by Andrew Tate and the far-right barbershop choir of 'Charlie Kirk, Alex Jones, Nigel Farage, and even Kanye West,' and references to Owens' old employer the Daily Wire, the très vif 22-count complaint seeks a jury trial and what likely would be deep-pocket damages. This American suit comes as the Macrons are appealing to higher courts in France after a libel conviction against two women who spread stories online that the 72-year old First Lady was once a male was shockingly overturned earlier this monthj. On this side of the Atlantic, having goaded the French first couple to sue her for months on her Becoming Brigitte series, Owens did not initially respond to Deadline's request for comment on Wednesday's suit from the Macrons. However, soon after this story was posted, a spokesperson for Owens sent Deadline a statement that also could serve as a trailer of sorts. 'Candace Owens is not shutting up,' her rep said. 'This is a foreign government attacking the First Amendment rights of an American independent journalist. Candace repeatedly requested an interview with Brigitte Macron. Instead of offering a comment, Brigitte is resorting to trying to bully a reporter into submission. In France, politicians can bully journalists, but this is not France. It's America. Candace will address everything on her show today, where she will continue to express her First Amendment rights.' Still, busy as she is right now leading the uprising and uproar over Donald Trump's DOJ not releasing the full Jeffrey Epstein files, Owens can't say she didn't know the defamation action was coming, according to the Macrons' attorneys. RELATED: Even Joe Rogan knew it was coming. 'She's got a six-hour presentation on how Brigitte Macron is a man,' the ex-Fear Factor frontman said on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast in early April. Rogan went on to say, 'I think she's right,' before adding, 'Instead of trying to give her money to shut the f*ck up, they would sue her.' For the record, the Macrons and their reps say they never attempted to pay Owens off to back off — in fact, they say the complete opposite. 'As detailed in the complaint, the filing of this lawsuit follows three separate retraction demands sent to Ms. Owens in the last year containing incontrovertible evidence disproving her allegations and proving, among other things, that Mrs. Macron was born a woman named Brigitte Trogneux, that she is not a blood relative of President Macron, and that the Macrons are not being controlled or blackmailed by unknown forces,' noted Virginia-based lawyer Clare in a statement released at the same time the lawsuit was filed. 'To make matters worse, many others have republished her lies, thereby increasing their global audience and the emotional and reputational harm they have caused,' he added. Even with all the detailing in the 219-page filing of how Owens' attack have injured 'confidence in the Macrons' integrity and fitness as political and governmental leaders' and their 'reputations have been impugned,' the Macrons' move does have more than a whiff of the kind of action their on-and-off pal Trump regularly takes against media he doesn't like or feels criticizes or mocks him. C'est dommage. Unlike Trump, the Macrons appear willing to show up in court if need be in this case, I hear. Best of Deadline Everything We Know About Season 3 Of 'Euphoria' So Far 'Wednesday' Season 2: Everything We Know About The Cast, Premiere Date & More Everything We Know About 'Only Murders In The Building' Season 5 So Far

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