Candace Owens Is Being Sued by France’s First Couple Here’s Everything That’s Happened

Candace Owens built one of the biggest independent media empires in conservative politics by saying things others won’t. But in 2025, that strategy landed her in a Delaware courtroom facing a 219-page defamation lawsuit filed by the President of France and his wife. This is not a class action. It is a direct lawsuit between specific parties — and it is one of the most consequential defamation cases involving an American media personality in years.

Here is everything you need to know: what Owens said, why the Macrons sued, and what has happened in every legal battle she has been part of.

Quick Facts

What	Detail
Primary Lawsuit	Macron v. Owens — defamation
Filed	July 23, 2025
Court	Delaware Superior Court
Defendants	Candace Owens personally, Candace Owens LLC, Georgetom Inc.
Plaintiffs	Emmanuel Macron & Brigitte Macron
Plaintiffs’ Law Firm	Clare Locke LLP
Number of Counts	22 counts of defamation and false light invasion of privacy
Owens’ Response	Motion to dismiss filed September 12, 2025
Current Status	Active — motion to dismiss pending as of April 2026

What Did Candace Owens Actually Say?

Starting in early 2024, Owens began promoting a claim that Brigitte Macron — France’s First Lady and wife of President Emmanuel Macron — was born male. She did not present verified evidence to support this. Owens based her statements on anonymous online posts, manipulated photographs, and a French blog.

She then turned that claim into a full content series. Owens produced an eight-part video series called “Becoming Brigitte” for her nearly 4.5 million YouTube subscribers, which the Macrons allege she aggressively monetized.

Owens was not backing down publicly. She said she would “stake my entire professional reputation” on her claim that Brigitte Macron was born male. When the lawsuit was filed, she responded on her podcast: “I wake up, I stretch, I have a cup of coffee, and then I am served with a lawsuit.”

The conspiracy theory itself is not new. The claim that Brigitte Macron was born a man — specifically under the name Jean-Michel Trogneux — is part of a debunked conspiracy theory that emerged in France in 2021 and has been repeatedly refuted. Jean-Michel Trogneux is actually Brigitte Macron’s brother.

Why the Macrons Sued in Delaware — and Why That’s Controversial

The Macrons are French. Owens lives in Tennessee. So why Delaware?

The 219-page complaint, filed in Delaware Superior Court in July 2025, names three defendants: Candace Owens personally, Candace Owens LLC — her Delaware company managing social media and ad revenue — and a third entity. The Macrons chose Delaware likely because Owens incorporated her business there, giving the court a legal hook over the company.

Owens’ lawyers immediately pushed back on this. Her legal team called the lawsuit “quintessential libel tourism,” arguing the Macrons are attempting to sidestep France’s strict three-month statute of limitations for defamation claims. “Instead of suing in their home country or in Tennessee where the allegedly defamatory statements were published, the Macrons sued in Delaware, which has no connection to the claims alleged,” the filing states.

Owens filed a 43-page motion to dismiss on September 12, 2025, asking the court to throw out the case on three grounds: lack of jurisdiction, expiration of France’s statute of limitations, and the legal doctrine of forum non conveniens — which discourages litigation in courts with little connection to the dispute.

The court had not ruled on that motion as of the latest reporting.

Related article: Every Shein Lawsuit Right Now Toxic Clothes, Stolen Designs, and Your Data Going to China

The Law Firm Coming After Her Is Not a Random One

The Macrons did not hire just any attorneys. Their weapon of choice is Clare Locke — the law firm that extracted a record-shattering $787.5 million settlement from Fox News on behalf of Dominion Voting Systems, the largest media defamation payout in American history.

That choice sent a clear signal about how seriously the Macrons are taking this case — and how much money they are prepared to spend fighting it.

What the Macrons Are Claiming in Court

The lawsuit accused Owens of pushing a “false statement” that Brigitte Macron was a man, disregarding all credible evidence disproving her claim.

Following demands for a retraction, the lawsuit said that Owens hosted the “Becoming Brigitte” podcast series along with posts on X, endorsing and publishing what they called verifiably false and devastating lies about the Macrons — including that Brigitte was born a man, stole another person’s identity, and transitioned before marrying Emmanuel.

The Macrons sent Owens a detailed retraction demand letter in December 2024 that they say conclusively disproved her claims, followed by follow-up emails on December 18, 2024, and January 8, 2025 — all of which went unanswered.

Owens continued her attacks after the lawsuit was filed, launching a new season of “Becoming Brigitte” in September 2025. The Macrons responded by filing an amended complaint that same month.

The French Courts Already Ruled — and It’s Complicated

While the U.S. case plays out, a parallel legal battle ran through the French court system.

In January 2026, a Paris court found 10 people guilty of cyberbullying after they posted or reposted comments on social media questioning Brigitte Macron’s gender and sexuality. The sentences ranged from an eight-month suspended prison sentence to mandatory classes about online harassment.

However, the French legal picture is not clean-cut. An appeals court overturned an earlier ruling in 2025, finding that saying someone had changed gender was not an attack on their honor. That case is now before France’s highest court.

Owens seized on the appeals court outcome. On January 5, 2026, she reposted coverage of the French ruling and wrote: “Once again these headlines are written in a way to deceive the public into believing that Brigitte proved she was a woman. NO. France just has cyber-bullying laws.”

Owens’ Full Legal History: Every Case She’s Been Part Of

The Macron lawsuit is the biggest legal fight Owens faces, but it is not her first time in court.

She sued USA Today and a fact-checker — and lost.

In 2020, during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Owens posted claims suggesting COVID-19 was not as dangerous as the government was saying. USA Today and Lead Stories fact-checked those posts, and Facebook labeled them false. Owens responded by suing Lead Stories and USA Today. The lawsuit was dismissed in July 2021. There was no evidence found of defamation, malicious intent, or interference with her contractual obligations. A Delaware judge later dismissed a 2024 refiling of that suit as well.

Kim Klacik sued her for $20 million — and lost.

Republican congressional candidate Kim Klacik filed a $20 million defamation lawsuit against Owens after Owens referred to her disparagingly as having worked as a stripper. In December 2022, a Tennessee judge dismissed that lawsuit with prejudice. Dismissal with prejudice means Klacik could not refile.

She left the Daily Wire under a cloud.

After a contentious split from Ben Shapiro’s Daily Wire in March 2024, allegedly sparked by on-air anti-Semitic comments and staunch criticism of Israel, Owens launched a solo venture that quickly scaled into a multimedia operation. No confirmed lawsuit has emerged from that departure, though the split was widely reported as hostile.

Why This Defamation Case Matters Beyond Owens

The Macron suit tests whether the controversy-as-currency model that made Owens rich and gave her a media brand reaching tens of millions of people can survive what experts say will be an immensely costly legal battle.

The financial logic of Owens’ media operation is straightforward: provocative content drives audience engagement, engagement drives ad rates, and ad rates fund the entire operation. If the Macrons succeed — either in keeping the case alive in Delaware or eventually winning a judgment — it could force independent commentators to think carefully about what claims they make about foreign public figures.

Owens herself shows no signs of backing down. She has continued producing “Becoming Brigitte” content even after the lawsuit was filed, which the Macrons cited in their amended complaint as evidence of ongoing harm.

Where Things Stand Right Now

Milestone	Status
Retraction demand sent to Owens	December 2024
Macrons file in Delaware Superior Court	July 23, 2025
Owens files motion to dismiss	September 12, 2025
Macrons file amended complaint	Late September 2025
French cyberbullying convictions (separate case)	January 6, 2026
Delaware judge rules on motion to dismiss	Pending as of April 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Candace Owens being sued for? 

Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron sued Owens in Delaware Superior Court in July 2025 for defamation and false light invasion of privacy. The lawsuit contains 22 counts and stems from Owens’ repeated claim that Brigitte Macron was born male — a claim the Macrons say is false, harmful, and was spread deliberately for financial gain.

Has Candace Owens been found guilty of anything?

 No. As of April 2026, no U.S. court has ruled against Owens in the Macron case. Her motion to dismiss is still pending. In earlier cases — the USA Today suit and the Klacik suit — those cases were dismissed, meaning no finding of wrongdoing was made against her personally.

What is “libel tourism” and why does Owens’ team use that term?

 Libel tourism refers to filing a defamation lawsuit in a country or state with more plaintiff-friendly laws, rather than where the alleged harm actually happened. Owens’ lawyers argue the Macrons chose Delaware specifically to avoid France’s strict 90-day statute of limitations on defamation claims.

Who is Clare Locke and why does it matter that they represent the Macrons?

 Clare Locke is the U.S. law firm that secured a $787.5 million settlement from Fox News for Dominion Voting Systems in the most high-profile media defamation case in recent American history. Their involvement signals the Macrons are prepared for a long, expensive legal fight.

What is “Becoming Brigitte”?

 “Becoming Brigitte” is an eight-part video series Owens produced and published for her YouTube audience, in which she promoted the claim that Brigitte Macron was born male. The Macrons allege Owens aggressively monetized the series. Owens launched a second season in September 2025, after the lawsuit was already filed.

Could Owens face financial consequences if she loses? 

Potentially significant ones. The Macrons have not publicly specified a damages amount, but defamation suits involving claims of deliberate, monetized falsehoods can result in large jury awards in U.S. courts. The fact that Clare Locke — a firm known for pursuing maximum recoveries — is representing them suggests the Macrons are not seeking a symbolic outcome.

Did Brigitte Macron prove she is a woman in court?

 In France, courts have addressed the conspiracy theory in multiple proceedings. A Paris court convicted 10 people for cyberbullying in January 2026. However, a separate French appeals court overturned a related ruling in 2025, finding that questioning someone’s gender identity did not meet the threshold of an attack on honor under French law. That case is now before France’s highest court. The Macrons’ U.S. attorneys have said they intend to present scientific evidence in the Delaware case.

Last Updated: April 10, 2026

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. All information is drawn from publicly available court filings, official legal documents, and credible news reporting. No finding of guilt or wrongdoing has been made against any party in the cases described above unless explicitly stated. For legal advice about a specific situation, consult a qualified attorney.