The Candace Owens Macron lawsuit is a defamation case filed by French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron against the American conservative commentator on July 23, 2025, in Delaware Superior Court, over Owens’s repeated public claim that Brigitte Macron was born a man. The case is captioned Macron v. Owens, No. N25C-07-194, and as of mid-June 2026 the court has not yet ruled on Owens’s motion to dismiss.
What Owens Said
Starting around March 2024, Owens promoted the theory that Brigitte Macron was born Jean-Michel Trogneux (the name of Brigitte’s actual older brother), transitioned, and took over a stolen identity. In a March 2024 social media post, she wrote: “I would stake my entire professional reputation on the fact that Brigitte Macron is in fact a man.” A now-deleted video that drew over a million views also floated that the Macrons’ relationship “might be a story of pedophilia.”1France 24. How Did Online Rumours That Brigitte Macron Was Born Male Go Viral
The Macrons sent three retraction demands beginning in December 2024. Owens did not retract. According to the complaint, she instead released an eight-part podcast series called Becoming Brigitte and sold merchandise depicting Brigitte Macron with the tagline “man of the year.”219th News. Candace Owens Brigitte Macron Lawsuit Conspiracy3Politico. Emmanuel Macron Sues Candace Owens Defamation On the day the suit was filed, Owens told her audience Brigitte Macron “is definitely a man” and called the lawsuit “a public relations strategy.”
What the Complaint Alleges
The 219-page amended complaint was filed through Clare Locke and Farnan LLP. It names three defendants: Candace Owens personally, Candace Owens LLC (which manages her social media and advertising), and GeorgeTom, Inc. (which produces her podcast and runs her website). Both entities are registered in Delaware, and that incorporation is the basis for the Macrons’ argument that the Delaware court has jurisdiction.4Clare Locke. Amended Complaint, Macron v. Owens5Fortune. Candace Owens Brigitte Macron Lawsuit
The pleading contains 22 counts of defamation, false light, and defamation by implication.6ABC News. French President Macron Wife File Defamation Suit Commentator Beyond the gender-identity claim, it alleges Owens spread additional falsehoods: that the Macrons are blood relatives committing incest, that Emmanuel Macron was chosen for office through a CIA mind-control program, and that the couple are involved in Satanic pedophilia and forgery meant to hide those supposed secrets. The complaint alleges Owens acted with “reckless disregard for the truth” to grow her platform and revenue, and that she “doubled down” after receiving retraction demands.4Clare Locke. Amended Complaint, Macron v. Owens
A spokesperson for Emmanuel Macron said the suit was filed by him as a “private person, not in his official capacity.”7Bloomberg Law. French President Macron Sues Candace Owens in US for Defamation8PBS NewsHour. Conservative Influencer Candace Owens Sued for Defamation Over Claims That Frances First Lady Is a Man9BBC. Macrons Scientific Evidence Defamation10The Guardian. Macrons Submit Scientific Evidence US Court Prove Brigitte Not Man
How Owens Is Fighting Back
Owens filed a motion to dismiss in September 2025. Her defense makes three main arguments. First, the Delaware court lacks personal jurisdiction because Owens lives and records in Nashville, Tennessee, and the state has “no link to her, either of the Macrons, or any relevant witnesses or evidence.”11Law.com Delaware Business Court. Libel Tourism Conservative Influencer Says Delaware Court Lacks Jurisdiction Second, she calls the case “quintessential libel tourism,” arguing the Macrons chose Delaware to avoid France’s three-month statute of limitations, and that Delaware’s borrowing statute should import the shorter French deadline and time-bar the claims. Third, she invokes forum non conveniens, again pointing to Delaware’s lack of connection to the parties.12ALM Assets. Defendants Opening Brief in Support of Motion to Dismiss
In an October 2025 filing, Owens argued that holding her liable would violate “a sacred precept of US Constitutional Law.”13Bloomberg Law. Trump Lawyer Kasowitz Leaves Candace Owens Team in Macron Case Her spokesperson has framed the suit as “a foreign government attacking the First Amendment rights of an American independent journalist.”7Bloomberg Law. French President Macron Sues Candace Owens in US for Defamation Owens has publicly vowed to fight and has asked supporters to donate to a legal fund, putting estimated defense costs at around $5 million.5Fortune. Candace Owens Brigitte Macron Lawsuit
Where the Case Stands Now
Briefing on the motion to dismiss finished in January 2026. A hearing was originally set for April 28, then rescheduled to June 22, 2026, before Judge Sheldon K. Rennie in the Superior Court of New Castle County.14Delaware Courts. Docket Report, Macron v. Owens, N25C-07-194 As of mid-June 2026, no ruling has come down.
Owens’s legal team has shifted. Marc Kasowitz, a lawyer long associated with Donald Trump, withdrew from her defense on April 21, 2026, without stating a reason. She is now represented by Richards, Layton & Finger PA; Noah Balch Law PC; and Horwitz Law PLLC.13Bloomberg Law. Trump Lawyer Kasowitz Leaves Candace Owens Team in Macron Case On the Macrons’ side, the court granted pro hac vice admission to five Clare Locke attorneys in April 2026.14Delaware Courts. Docket Report, Macron v. Owens, N25C-07-194
Why This Is a Hard Case to Win
The Macrons are public figures suing in a U.S. court, and that carries a heavy burden. They must show “actual malice” — that Owens knew her statements were false or acted with reckless disregard for whether they were true — the standard set by the Supreme Court in New York Times v. Sullivan.15PBS. Defamation Legal observers have called the case an “uphill battle” compared with French defamation law, which is more favorable to plaintiffs.16The Christian Science Monitor. Brigitte Macron Trans Defamation Law France US
Related litigation in France has run on a separate track and, according to one legal analysis, has limited bearing on the Delaware case because the two systems apply different rules.16The Christian Science Monitor. Brigitte Macron Trans Defamation Law France US
The Second Defamation Suit Against Owens
The Macron case is not the only active defamation suit Owens faces. On April 30, 2026, Brian Harpole, the late Charlie Kirk’s former security chief and founder of Integrity Security Solutions, filed a separate defamation lawsuit against Owens in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee (Case No. 3:2026cv00556).17Justia Dockets. Harpole v. Owens Et Al The 69-page complaint alleges Owens ran a “coordinated and deliberate campaign” to falsely implicate Harpole in a conspiracy to assassinate Kirk.18The New York Times. Candace Owens Defamation Charlie Kirk
The claims trace largely to Owens’s podcast interviews with co-defendant Mitch Snow, a retired Army sergeant who said he saw Harpole at a secret meeting at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, the day before Kirk was killed. Harpole says flight records show he was in Dallas, Texas, that day. The suit seeks at least $75,000, and Harpole’s attorneys argue a “reasonable award is well into the millions of dollars.”19Forbes. Charlie Kirks Former Security Guard Sues Candace Owens Owens called the suit “insane” on her podcast and described it as a “PR move.”18The New York Times. Candace Owens Defamation Charlie Kirk When Harpole’s team tried to serve Snow, a magistrate judge authorized the U.S. Marshals Service to help, finding that “a law enforcement presence appears to be necessary to keep the peace and to complete service of process.”20PACER Monitor. Harpole v. Owens Et Al An initial case management conference is set for July 28, 2026.17Justia Dockets. Harpole v. Owens Et Al