French President Emmanuel Macron has found himself at the center of an international media firestorm, as he and his wife, Brigitte Macron, mount a legal battle against persistent and damaging rumors about the First Lady's identity. The controversy, which has swirled since 2017, erupted into a full-fledged lawsuit in July 2025, when the Macrons filed a defamation case in the U.S. state of Delaware against American conservative commentator Candace Owens. The lawsuit, which targets Owens' repeated public assertions that Brigitte Macron was born a man, has drawn global attention and sparked heated debate about truth, privacy, and the boundaries of free speech.
The origins of the rumor stretch back several years, with Brigitte Macron facing a barrage of online conspiracy theories regarding her gender. According to Paris Match, President Macron revealed in an August 21, 2025 interview that he and his wife initially chose to ignore the slander. "There was a tradition of saying: Let it slide. That’s what we did at first. In the beginning, it was in France. We were advised not to file a complaint," Macron explained. The fear was that legal action would trigger the so-called "Streisand effect," inadvertently amplifying the falsehoods by drawing more public attention to them.
However, the situation escalated dramatically when the claims migrated to the United States, fueled by Owens' podcast and her book, Becoming Brigitte. The allegations not only repeated the gender conspiracy but also introduced new, unfounded accusations of paedophilia and incest involving the Macrons. According to Brussels Signal, these developments prompted the couple to take decisive legal action, launching their lawsuit on July 23, 2025. President Macron, speaking to Paris Match, was unequivocal: "It’s about defending my honour! Because this is nonsense. It’s someone who knew very well that she had false information and spread it to harm, in the service of an ideology and with established connections to far-right leaders."
The legal complaint, filed in Delaware, does not stop at challenging the gender-related rumors. As reported by multiple outlets, it also seeks to refute Owens' other outlandish assertions, including claims that Emmanuel Macron is the product of a CIA mind control program and that he was statutorily raped as a youth by Brigitte Macron. The President has repeatedly denounced such allegations as "false and fabricated," emphasizing their deeply personal and reputational impact.
For Macron, the issue goes well beyond the boundaries of personal insult or political mudslinging. In his interview with Paris Match on August 21, 2025, he stressed, "This is about upholding the truth. We are talking about the civil status of the First Lady of France, a wife, a mother, a grandmother. Wanting to prevent the truth from being restored is not freedom of speech." He added, "Those who talk to you about this so-called freedom of speech are the same people who bar journalists from the Oval Office. I do not accept that."
The media reaction to the lawsuit has been intense and varied. Headlines have chronicled every twist and turn, from former U.S. President Donald Trump's reported plea to Candace Owens regarding the controversy, to British broadcaster Piers Morgan weighing in with his own commentary. The case has even reached France's highest appeals court, underscoring its significance and the level of public interest it has generated. According to Newsweek and other outlets, the conspiracy theories have gone viral multiple times, with social media platforms serving as the primary accelerant.
Candace Owens, for her part, has framed the lawsuit as an attempt to silence her and suppress what she claims is the truth. She has publicly stated that the Macrons' legal action is an effort to hide from scrutiny. In response to the suit, she has doubled down on her assertions, even reportedly offering a $300,000 bet over her claims, according to Newsweek. Owens' supporters argue that the case is a test of free speech, while her critics contend that she is knowingly spreading misinformation for ideological and personal gain.
President Macron has not shied away from linking the proliferation of these rumors to broader trends in disinformation and extremism. He has pointed to identifiable "networks" and "extremists in France" who are pushing these narratives online, and has even suggested connections to Russian disinformation efforts. As he told Paris Match, "Macho and sexist attacks… false information and invented scenarios" against his "powerful woman" wife have not only hurt him personally, but have also taken a toll on his family's private life.
The French legal system has already weighed in on similar issues. In 2023, two French YouTubers were fined for falsely claiming that Brigitte Macron was born a man—a case referenced by Macron as evidence of the real-world consequences of such slander. Court papers from that case stated, "two women falsely said Brigitte Macron was born a man." Despite these rulings, the rumors have persisted, highlighting the challenges of combating viral misinformation in the digital age.
Some commentators have questioned whether the Macrons' legal strategy is wise, given the risk of drawing even more attention to the allegations. The President himself acknowledged this dilemma, noting the potential for the "Streisand effect" but ultimately concluding that the spread of lies in the United States left him no choice but to respond. "But it became so widespread in the United States that we had to react. It’s about upholding the truth… We’re talking about the marital status of the First Lady of France, a wife, a mother, a grandmother," Macron reiterated in his interview.
The case has also reignited debates about the limits of free speech, especially when it comes to public figures. Macron has made it clear that, in his view, there is a line between opinion and deliberate falsehood. "Wanting to prevent the truth from being restored is not freedom of speech," he said, drawing a sharp distinction between legitimate commentary and what he describes as calculated defamation.
As the legal proceedings continue, the world watches to see how the courts will balance the competing interests of personal reputation, public discourse, and the right to free expression. The outcome could have far-reaching implications, not only for the Macrons but for the broader battle against misinformation in the digital era.
For now, President Macron remains resolute. He has pledged to fight "to the end" to defend both his and his wife's honour, insisting that truth and dignity must prevail over rumor and slander. Whether the courts—and public opinion—will ultimately side with the French President is a question that remains open, but the stakes could hardly be higher for the couple at the heart of France's political life.
