Newsmaker

French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, are preparing to present "scientific and photographic evidence" in a US court to prove that the French first lady is a woman. The couple will present the documentation in a defamation lawsuit they have taken against American right-wing podcaster Candace Owens after she promoted her belief that Brigitte Macron was born male.

Speaking on BBC's Fame Under Fire podcast, Tom Clare, a lawyer acting for the Macrons, said that Brigitte found the claims "incredibly upsetting" and they were a "distraction" to the French president. "I don't want to suggest that it somehow has thrown him off his game. But just like anybody who is juggling a career and a family life as well, when your family is under attack, it wears on you. And he's not immune from that because he's the president of a country," Clare said.

Clare confirmed that the couple was prepared to present expert testimony "scientific in nature," alongside other evidence disproving the claims. "It is incredibly upsetting to think that you have to go and subject yourself to put this type of proof forward," he said, adding, "But she's willing to do it. She is firmly resolved to do what it takes to set the record straight."

Owens is a former commentator for conservative US outlet Daily Wire and has millions of followers across social media.

According to a report by the BBC, she has repeatedly promoted her belief that Brigitte Macron is a man. In March 2024, she went so far as to declare she would stake her "entire professional reputation" on the claim.

The Macrons filed a defamation lawsuit in a court in Delaware in July, accusing Owens of spreading "outlandish, defamatory, and far-fetched" lies. The suit alleges she "disregarded all credible evidence disproving her claim in favour of platforming known conspiracy theorists and proven defamers."

However, despite the looming legal action, Owens doubled down on her baseless claim, saying that Macron's death would be faked before the case reached the discovery phase.

Separately, in a YouTube video, she argued she had given the Macrons multiple opportunities to refute her claims but received no response.

Meanwhile, explaining his decision to take legal action, Macron told Paris Match in August: "This is about defending my honour! Because this is nonsense. This is someone who knew full well that she had false information and did so with the aim of causing harm, in the service of an ideology and with established connections to far-right leaders."

Owens' legal team has filed a motion to dismiss the case, arguing that Delaware is the wrong jurisdiction and that defending the lawsuit there would cause "substantial financial and operational hardship."