Latest news with #MKUltra
Euronews
5 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Macrons sue Candace Owens over claims first lady is transgender
France's President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, filed a defamation lawsuit in the United States on Wednesday against right-wing podcaster Candace Owens, accusing her of spreading false rumours that the first lady is transgender. In the suit filed in the Delaware Superior Court, the Macrons said Owens had waged a "campaign of global humiliation" and "relentless bullying" for personal gain to promote her podcast. The Macrons said one of the lies repeated by Owens includes that Brigitte Macron was born Jean-Michel Trogneux, which is the name of her brother. It also accuses Owens of falsely claiming that Emmanuel Macron was installed as president of France as part of a secret CIA plot. "These outlandish, defamatory, and far-fetched fictions included that Mrs Macron was born a man, stole another person's identity, and transitioned to become Brigitte; Mrs Macron and President Macron are blood relatives committing incest; President Macron was chosen to be the President of France as part of the CIA-operated MKUltra program or a similar mind-control program; and Mrs Macron and President Macron are committing forgery, fraud, and abuses of power to conceal these secrets," the lawsuit says. The 22-count complaint is also seeking unspecified damages. The suit is a rare instance of a world leader suing for defamation. US President Donald Trump has filed multiple defamation lawsuits, including one last week against The Wall Street Journal. To win a defamation case in the US, public figures like the Macrons must be able to show that defendants engaged in "actual malice," meaning they knew that comments they had published were false. Neither Owens nor the Macrons have commented on the lawsuit. This is not the first time Brigitte Macron has sued for defamation over claims she was born male. In 2021, she filed suit against two women, Amandine Roy and Natacha Rey, for spreading the transgender rumours online which subsequently went viral. A lower court ordered both women to pay damages to both Macron and her brother, but that case ended up back in the headlines earlier this year after Macron took the case to the country's highest appeals court after the Paris appeals court overturned the conviction.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
The Macrons are suing Candace Owens over her claim that Brigitte Macron is a man: How we got here
The French president and first lady have filed a defamation lawsuit in Delaware over the far-right podcaster's 'verifiably false and devastating lies.' French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, have filed a lawsuit against Candace Owens over the far-right podcaster's repeated claims that France's first lady was born a man. In a 219-page lawsuit filed Wednesday in Delaware Superior Court, the Macrons pointed to a March 2024 post on X in which Owens said that she would stake her 'entire professional reputation on the fact that Brigitte Macron is in fact a man.' 'Since then Owens has used this false statement to promote her independent platform, gain notoriety, and make money,' the lawsuit states. 'Owens disregarded all credible evidence disproving her claim in favor of platforming known conspiracy theorists and proven defamers.' According to the lawsuit, Owens ignored multiple retraction requests. 'Rather than engage with the President and First Lady's attempts to set the record straight,' the suit states, Owens 'mocked them and used them as additional fodder for her frenzied fan base.' 'We gave her every opportunity to back away from these claims, but she refused,' the Macrons said in a statement. 'It is our earnest hope that this lawsuit will set the record straight and end this campaign of defamation once and for all.' What else does the lawsuit say? In an eight-part podcast series titled 'Becoming Brigitte,' Owens 'endorsed, repeated, and published a series of verifiably false and devastating lies' about the Macrons, according to the complaint. Among them: Brigitte Macron 'was born a man, stole another person's identity, and transitioned to become Brigitte.' The French president and first lady 'are blood relatives committing incest.' Emmanuel Macron was 'chosen to be the President of France as part of the CIA-operated MKUltra program or a similar mind-control program.' And the Macrons are 'committing forgery, fraud, and abuses of power to conceal these secrets.' 'These claims are demonstrably false, and Owens knew they were false when she published them. Yet, she published them anyway,' the lawsuit states. 'And the reason is clear: it is not the pursuit of truth, but the pursuit of fame.' The complaint alleges that Owens subjected the Macrons to a 'campaign of global humiliation,' arguing that the podcaster has attempted to monetize her defamatory claims by selling merchandise such as a T-shirt showing Brigitte Macron on a fake Time magazine 'Man of the Year' cover. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages. What was Owens's response? On her podcast Wednesday, Owens was defiant, telling the audience she was being sued by 'the first lady man of France' while doubling down on her claims. 'If you need any more evidence that Brigitte Macron is definitely a man, it is just what is happening right now.' Owens said. 'The idea that you would file this lawsuit is all of the proof that you need.' 'Candace Owens is not shutting up,' her spokesperson said in a separate statement. 'This is a foreign government attacking the First Amendment rights of an American independent journalist.' Owens was formerly the communications director for the conservative activist organization Turning Point USA and gained notoriety as an outspoken commentator for the Daily Wire. Last year the website severed ties with Owens over a series of comments that were seen as antisemitic. Her YouTube channel, which streams her podcast, has more than 4.4 million subscribers. A similar case in France The lawsuit against Owens comes as the Macrons are pursuing a similar case in France. Last year, Brigitte Macron and her brother, Jean-Michel Trogneux, won a defamation suit against two women for spreading claims that she was born a male with his name and then took the name Brigitte when she transitioned to a woman. Last month a Paris appeals court overturned the ruling. Brigitte Macron and her brother have appealed that decision to France's highest court. In the U.S. case, the Macrons are being represented by Clare Locke, a law firm that served as co-counsel for Dominion Voting Systems in its historic $787 million settlement with Fox News in 2023 over the cable network's false claims about the 2020 election. A scandalous beginning Emmanuel Macron, 47, and Brigitte Macron, 72, have been married since 2007. They met in 1993, when Emmanuel was in high school and Brigitte was his drama teacher and a married mother of three. He was 15 years old — the age of consent in France — and she was 39. One of her daughters was his classmate. For his senior year, Emmanuel left to attend high school in Paris, but their affair continued, and he vowed to marry her. She later divorced her husband in 2006 and married Emmanuel the following year. Their unconventional relationship came into the global spotlight in 2017, when he became president. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
The Macrons are suing Candace Owens over her claim that Brigitte Macron is a man: How we got here
The French president and first lady have filed a defamation lawsuit in Delaware over the far-right podcaster's 'verifiably false and devastating lies.' French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, have filed a lawsuit against Candace Owens over the far-right podcaster's repeated claims that France's first lady was born a man. In a 219-page lawsuit filed Wednesday in Delaware Superior Court, the Macrons pointed to a March 2024 post on X in which Owens said that she would stake her 'entire professional reputation on the fact that Brigitte Macron is in fact a man.' 'Since then Owens has used this false statement to promote her independent platform, gain notoriety, and make money,' the lawsuit states. 'Owens disregarded all credible evidence disproving her claim in favor of platforming known conspiracy theorists and proven defamers.' According to the lawsuit, Owens ignored multiple retraction requests. 'Rather than engage with the President and First Lady's attempts to set the record straight,' the suit states, Owens 'mocked them and used them as additional fodder for her frenzied fan base.' 'We gave her every opportunity to back away from these claims, but she refused,' the Macrons said in a statement. 'It is our earnest hope that this lawsuit will set the record straight and end this campaign of defamation once and for all.' What else does the lawsuit say? In an eight-part podcast series titled 'Becoming Brigitte,' Owens 'endorsed, repeated, and published a series of verifiably false and devastating lies' about the Macrons, according to the complaint. Among them: Brigitte Macron 'was born a man, stole another person's identity, and transitioned to become Brigitte.' The French president and first lady 'are blood relatives committing incest.' Emmanuel Macron was 'chosen to be the President of France as part of the CIA-operated MKUltra program or a similar mind-control program.' And the Macrons are 'committing forgery, fraud, and abuses of power to conceal these secrets.' 'These claims are demonstrably false, and Owens knew they were false when she published them. Yet, she published them anyway,' the lawsuit states. 'And the reason is clear: it is not the pursuit of truth, but the pursuit of fame.' The complaint alleges that Owens subjected the Macrons to a 'campaign of global humiliation,' arguing that the podcaster has attempted to monetize her defamatory claims by selling merchandise such as a T-shirt showing Brigitte Macron on a fake Time magazine 'Man of the Year' cover. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages. What was Owens's response? On her podcast Wednesday, Owens was defiant, telling the audience she was being sued by 'the first lady man of France' while doubling down on her claims. 'If you need any more evidence that Brigitte Macron is definitely a man, it is just what is happening right now.' Owens said. 'The idea that you would file this lawsuit is all of the proof that you need.' 'Candace Owens is not shutting up,' her spokesperson said in a separate statement. 'This is a foreign government attacking the First Amendment rights of an American independent journalist.' Owens was formerly the communications director for the conservative activist organization Turning Point USA and gained notoriety as an outspoken commentator for the Daily Wire. Last year the website severed ties with Owens over a series of comments that were seen as antisemitic. Her YouTube channel, which streams her podcast, has more than 4.4 million subscribers. A similar case in France The lawsuit against Owens comes as the Macrons are pursuing a similar case in France. Last year, Brigitte Macron and her brother, Jean-Michel Trogneux, won a defamation suit against two women for spreading claims that she was born a male with his name and then took the name Brigitte when she transitioned to a woman. Last month a Paris appeals court overturned the ruling. Brigitte Macron and her brother have appealed that decision to France's highest court. In the U.S. case, the Macrons are being represented by Clare Locke, a law firm that served as co-counsel for Dominion Voting Systems in its historic $787 million settlement with Fox News in 2023 over the cable network's false claims about the 2020 election. A scandalous beginning Emmanuel Macron, 47, and Brigitte Macron, 72, have been married since 2007. They met in 1993, when Emmanuel was in high school and Brigitte was his drama teacher and a married mother of three. He was 15 years old — the age of consent in France — and she was 39. One of her daughters was his classmate. For his senior year, Emmanuel left to attend high school in Paris, but their affair continued, and he vowed to marry her. She later divorced her husband in 2006 and married Emmanuel the following year. Their unconventional relationship came into the global spotlight in 2017, when he became president. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
The Macrons are suing Candace Owens over her claim that Brigitte Macron is a man: How we got here
The French president and first lady have filed a defamation lawsuit in Delaware over the far-right podcaster's 'verifiably false and devastating lies.' French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, have filed a lawsuit against Candace Owens over the far-right podcaster's repeated claims that France's first lady was born a man. In a 219-page lawsuit filed Wednesday in Delaware Superior Court, the Macrons pointed to a March 2024 post on X in which Owens said that she would stake her 'entire professional reputation on the fact that Brigitte Macron is in fact a man.' 'Since then Owens has used this false statement to promote her independent platform, gain notoriety, and make money,' the lawsuit states. 'Owens disregarded all credible evidence disproving her claim in favor of platforming known conspiracy theorists and proven defamers.' According to the lawsuit, Owens ignored multiple retraction requests. 'Rather than engage with the President and First Lady's attempts to set the record straight,' the suit states, Owens 'mocked them and used them as additional fodder for her frenzied fan base.' 'We gave her every opportunity to back away from these claims, but she refused,' the Macrons said in a statement. 'It is our earnest hope that this lawsuit will set the record straight and end this campaign of defamation once and for all.' What else does the lawsuit say? In an eight-part podcast series titled 'Becoming Brigitte,' Owens 'endorsed, repeated, and published a series of verifiably false and devastating lies' about the Macrons, according to the complaint. Among them: Brigitte Macron 'was born a man, stole another person's identity, and transitioned to become Brigitte.' The French president and first lady 'are blood relatives committing incest.' Emmanuel Macron was 'chosen to be the President of France as part of the CIA-operated MKUltra program or a similar mind-control program.' And the Macrons are 'committing forgery, fraud, and abuses of power to conceal these secrets.' 'These claims are demonstrably false, and Owens knew they were false when she published them. Yet, she published them anyway,' the lawsuit states. 'And the reason is clear: it is not the pursuit of truth, but the pursuit of fame.' The complaint alleges that Owens subjected the Macrons to a 'campaign of global humiliation,' arguing that the podcaster has attempted to monetize her defamatory claims by selling merchandise such as a T-shirt showing Brigitte Macron on a fake Time magazine 'Man of the Year' cover. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages. What was Owens's response? On her podcast Wednesday, Owens was defiant, telling the audience she was being sued by 'the first lady man of France' while doubling down on her claims. 'If you need any more evidence that Brigitte Macron is definitely a man, it is just what is happening right now.' Owens said. 'The idea that you would file this lawsuit is all of the proof that you need.' 'Candace Owens is not shutting up,' her spokesperson said in a separate statement. 'This is a foreign government attacking the First Amendment rights of an American independent journalist.' Owens was formerly the communications director for the conservative activist organization Turning Point USA and gained notoriety as an outspoken commentator for the Daily Wire. Last year the website severed ties with Owens over a series of comments that were seen as antisemitic. Her YouTube channel, which streams her podcast, has more than 4.4 million subscribers. A similar case in France The lawsuit against Owens comes as the Macrons are pursuing a similar case in France. Last year, Brigitte Macron and her brother, Jean-Michel Trogneux, won a defamation suit against two women for spreading claims that she was born a male with his name and then took the name Brigitte when she transitioned to a woman. Last month a Paris appeals court overturned the ruling. Brigitte Macron and her brother have appealed that decision to France's highest court. In the U.S. case, the Macrons are being represented by Clare Locke, a law firm that served as co-counsel for Dominion Voting Systems in its historic $787 million settlement with Fox News in 2023 over the cable network's false claims about the 2020 election. A scandalous beginning Emmanuel Macron, 47, and Brigitte Macron, 72, have been married since 2007. They met in 1993, when Emmanuel was in high school and Brigitte was his drama teacher and a married mother of three. He was 15 years old — the age of consent in France — and she was 39. One of her daughters was his classmate. For his senior year, Emmanuel left to attend high school in Paris, but their affair continued, and he vowed to marry her. She later divorced her husband in 2006 and married Emmanuel the following year. Their unconventional relationship came into the global spotlight in 2017, when he became president.
Buzz Feed
5 days ago
- Politics
- Buzz Feed
Lawsuit Targets Owens for Macron Conspiracy Claims
Hot Topic 🔥 Full coverage and conversation on Politics French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, have hit far-right influencer Candace Owens with a defamation lawsuit over her false claims that Brigitte Macron is male. In a suit filed on Wednesday in Delaware, the Macrons allege that Owens has profited from a 'campaign of global humiliation' against the Macrons, the complaint said. In a March 2024 podcast, Owens said she 'would stake [her] entire professional reputation on the fact that Brigitte Macron is in fact a man,' according to the lawsuit. Despite attempts to stop Owens from spreading the conspiracy ― including a retraction letter sent by the Macrons ― she instead 'helmed an eight-part podcast series entitled 'Becoming Brigitte' (the 'Series') and accompanying X posts,' the lawsuit said. As part of the series, Owens fired off a series of 'outlandish, defamatory, and far-fetched fictions.' More from the lawsuit: These outlandish, defamatory, and far-fetched fictions included that Mrs. Macron was born a man, stole another person's identity, and transitioned to become Brigitte; Mrs. Macron and President Macron are blood relatives committing incest; President Macron was chosen to be the President of France as part of the CIA-operated MKUltra program or a similar mind-control program; and Mrs. Macron and President Macron are committing forgery, fraud, and abuses of power to conceal these secrets. The Macrons allege Owens has turned their lives 'into fodder for profit-driven lies,' the complaint 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 lawsuit said. 'The result is relentless bullying on a worldwide scale.' Owens, a notorious conspiracy theorist who has been banned entry to Australia and New Zealand over her hateful rhetoric, has previously amplified a conspiracy about Jews being 'drunk on Christian blood,' a reference to a false, centuries-old antisemitic trope. And in July of last year, Owens suggested on her podcast that the horrific experiments Nazi physician Josef Mengele conducted on twins at Holocaust death camps never happened, in part because it would be a 'tremendous waste of time and supplies.' 'That just sounds like bizarre propaganda,' she concluded. The lawsuit against her does not specify the amount of damages the Macrons are seeking. Owens has not responded to the lawsuit, but did respond Tuesday to news that Brigitte Macron was suing the author of the book that first brought the baseless conspiracy to a mass audience.
