The legal battle between French presidential couple Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron and American influencer Candace Owens has reached a new turning point. In a defamation case in the United States, the couple plans to present “scientific and photographic evidence” to prove that Brigitte is indeed a woman, according to their lawyer.

Conservative influencer Candace Owens, who has millions of followers on social media, has been spreading the theory for several years that the First Lady of France was born a man. The Macrons, who describe these claims as “deeply hurtful,” have decided to go to extreme lengths to silence these rumors.

Jean-Michel Trogneux

This hoax has been regularly resurfacing on social media since Emmanuel Macron's first election in 2017. A conspiracy theory claims that Brigitte Macron, née Trogneux, never actually existed. It was her brother Jean-Michel who assumed this identity after undergoing a sex change.

According to their lawyer, Tom Clare, Brigitte Macron will present photos of her pregnancies and children to a US court. “She is prepared to defend herself in a public and uncomfortable manner to set the record straight,” he told the BBC.

First legal action in France

This legal action in the United States follows an initial lawsuit in France against the original source of the conspiracy theory. Although the Macrons won this initial case, the judgment was overturned on appeal on the grounds of freedom of expression. Brigitte Macron nevertheless appealed to the Supreme Court.

The lawsuit against Candace Owens, filed in the United States, however, requires the plaintiffs to demonstrate “actual malice,” meaning that Candace Owens knowingly disseminated false information with the intent to cause harm.