Latest news with #Owens
TimesLIVE
2 hours ago
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
Macron sues right-wing US podcaster over claim French first lady born male
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte filed a defamation lawsuit in the US on Wednesday against right-wing influencer and podcaster Candace Owens, centred on her claim that France's first lady is male. The Macrons said in a complaint filed in Delaware Superior Court that Owens has waged a lie-filled 'campaign of global humiliation' to promote her podcast and expand her 'frenzied' fan base. These lies included that Brigitte Macron, 72, was born under the name Jean-Michel Trogneux, the name of her older brother, the Macrons said. 'Owens has dissected their appearance, their marriage, their friends, their family and their personal history — twisting it into a grotesque narrative designed to inflame and degrade,' the complaint said. 'The result is relentless bullying on a worldwide scale.' In her podcast on Wednesday, Owens said: 'This lawsuit is littered with factual inaccuracies' and part of an 'obvious and desperate public relations strategy' to smear her character.
Epoch Times
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Epoch Times
French President Macron and Wife Sue Candace Owens Over Claim First Lady Is a Man
Conservative commentator and podcaster Candace Owens was sued for defamation on July 23 by French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, over Owens's claim that France's first lady is a man. The couple filed the 22-count complaint in Delaware Superior Court against Owens, Candace Owens LLC, and her website operator, GeorgeTom Inc., seeking an unspecified amount in damages.
Indian Express
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Macrons sue American podcaster: The ‘Brigitte is a man' theory, and a rise in ‘transvestigation'
In a rare defamation lawsuit, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, have accused American right-wing podcaster Candace Owens of spreading 'outlandish, defamatory and far-fetched fictions' against France's First Lady. In the suit, filed in the US state of Delaware on July 23, the Macrons said that Owens has used the false statement that Brigitte was 'in fact a man' to 'promote her independent platform, gain notoreity, and make money'. The lawsuit added that though they served Owens several retraction demands, presenting her the opportunity to retract her false claims, she chose to ignore them. The dubious claims regarding Brigitte's gender first appeared in public in 2021, in the run-up to the 2022 French Presidential elections. Since then, several far-right conspiracy theorists have fanned the rumours, especially on social media. The significant age gap between Macron has been another target of rumours. Let's take a closer look at the controversy surrounding the Macrons. In the court filings, the Macrons have said that a self-described independent journalist, Natasha Rey, first posted the claim that Brigitte was transgender and had stolen a woman's identity in a since-deleted Facebook post in May 2021. Rey went on to work with another investigative journalist, Xavier Poussard, and co-wrote publications regarding Brigitte's 'biological sex'. She then appeared in a YouTube video with Amadine Roy, a self-proclaimed spiritual medium. Rey repeated the claim that Brigitte was born as Jean-Michel Trogneux and had stolen the identity of Brigitte Trogneux. Jean-Michel is the First Lady's biological brother. Several conspiracy theorists have shared childhood photos of the siblings to claim similarity in their appearances. Rey and Roy also claimed that Brigitte's first husband, whom she was married to between 1974 and 2006, never existed and that she was not the mother of the three children from her first marriage. Who is Candace Owens, and how did she get involved? Owens, often described as a far-right political commentator, has millions of followers across social media platforms, including YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. She first made her mark in French politics when she was invited to a right-wing convention in 2019, where she spoke against Macron. Before this, she had gained fame in American right-wing circles. Owens was born on April 29, 1989, in Connecticut. She studied journalism at the University of Rhode Island, but dropped out before completing her degree. She started gaining traction in 2016-17, given that she was a Black conservative who was supporting Donald Trump as President. She went on to work with Turning Point USA, an organisation that supports young conservative activists. She was a staunch advocate for 'Blexit', advising Black Americans to abandon the Democratic Party, for portraying them as 'victims.' She eventually joined The Daily Wire, a right-wing media house founded by Ben Shapiro. Owens was let go from The Daily Wire in 2024, just three years after she joined the organisation, for alleged anti-semitic statements in the wake of the Israel-Hamas conflict. Just before she departed from The Daily Wire, Owens published an episode of her talk show fanning the conspiracy theory around Brigitte, bringing global attention to the rumours. She later launched her independent talk show, Candace, on YouTube. In August 2024, she interviewed Poussard about the allegations. The episode was reportedly taken down by YouTube. In February this year, she published an eight-part series called Becoming Brigitte, repeating the claims about the First Lady. Poussard also appears in one of the episodes. She alleged that Macron and Brigitte were blood relatives and made even more baseless claims that Macron was a product of a CIA programme called 'MK Ultra' that brainwashed people to create 'Manchurian candidates' (someone who acts against the interests of their country under the influence of another country). How have the Macrons responded? Brigitte had filed a libel complaint against Rey and Roy after they published their video in December 2021. In September last year, a lower court had ordered the two women to pay €8,000 in damages to Brigitte and €5,000 to her brother. But an appeals court overturned the decision earlier this month. Brigitte has now taken the fight to France's highest appeals court. In the court filing for their lawsuit against Owens, the couple have denied all charges, and stated that in official retraction demands, they have explicitly confirmed to Owens that Brigitte was a biological woman, that she and the President were not related, and that he has not participated in any government 'mind-control programmes'. In May, when a video of Brigitte seemingly shoving Macron aboard their plane during a trip to Vietnam went viral, the President addressed the online misinformation targeting them. 'I see many crazies spending a lot of time interpreting these videos,' Macron said, clarifying that he and his wife were just joking around. In the court document, the Macrons have said that they have been a subject of a 'campaign of global humiliation'. 'Every time the Macrons leave their home, they do so knowing that countless people have heard, and many believe, these vile fabrications. It is invasive, dehumanizing, and deeply unjust,' the document read. 'Faced with this relentless and unjustified smear campaign, the Macrons are left with no choice but to seek relief through this Court to set the record straight, and prevent further harm,' it added. The Macrons have elaborated on their relationship as well. The document stated that Macron met Brigitte, who was a teacher and a mother of three at the time, as a high school student. They shared a passion for literature and theatre, and formed a 'deeper intellectual bond'. The document clarifies, 'At all times, the teacher-student relationship between Mrs. Macron and President Macron remained within the bounds of the law.' A rise in 'transvestigation' Brigitte is not alone in facing the slew of online hatred and disinformation campaigns around her gender. According to GLAAD, a non-profit LGBTQ+ advocacy organisation, several public figures are targeted by hate-driven conspiracy theories that accuse them of being 'transgender', sparking pseudo-scientific 'investigations' into their appearance, conduct and past. This is referred to as 'transvestigation'. Former First Lady of the US Michelle Obama, pop star Taylor Swift, tennis player Serena Williams, and former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, among others, have also been targets of this malicious online campaign. These so-called transvestigators subscribe to beliefs rooted in transphobia, building on prejudices against the transgender community. They often use these allegations to discredit and ridicule women or men in positions of power, spark defamatory gossip about popular celebrities, and body-shame. Sonal Gupta is a senior sub-editor on the news desk. She writes feature stories and explainers on a wide range of topics from art and culture to international affairs. She also curates the Morning Expresso, a daily briefing of top stories of the day, which won gold in the 'best newsletter' category at the WAN-IFRA South Asian Digital Media Awards 2023. She also edits our newly-launched pop culture section, Fresh Take. ... Read More
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
French president, first lady sue Nashville influencer Candace Owens for 'relentless bullying'
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte filed a defamation lawsuit in Delaware on July 23 against right-wing influencer and Nashville resident Candace Owens over her recent video series claiming that France's first lady is biologically male. The Macrons said in a lawsuit filed in Delaware Superior Court that Owens has waged a lie-filled "campaign of global humiliation" and "relentless bullying" to promote her podcast and expand her "frenzied" fan base. The filings are referring to a 6-part video series Owens began earlier this year titled 'Becoming Brigitte,' in which Owens accuses Brigitte Macron, 72, of being born under the name Jean-Michel Trogneux—the actual name of her older brother. The lawsuit accuses Owens of spreading 'outlandish, defamatory, and far-fetched fictions' such as Brigitte Macron being a man who 'stole another person's identity, and transitioned to become Brigitte; Mrs. Macron and President Macron are blood relatives committing incest; President Macron was chosen to be the President of France as part of the CIA-operated MKUltra program or a similar mind-control program; and Mrs. Macron and President Macron are committing forgery, fraud, and abuses of power to conceal these secrets.' "Every time the Macrons leave their home, they do so knowing that countless people have heard, and many believe, these vile fabrications," the complaint said. "It is invasive, dehumanizing, and deeply unjust." The 22-count complaint seeks an unspecified amount of compensatory and punitive damages, as well as a jury trial. The Macrons are being represented by Clare Lock, a boutique defamation law firm that settled against Fox News in 2023 on behalf of Dominion voting systems following the network's claims of Dominion rigging the 2020 election. In a video livestreamed on her YouTube channel Wednesday afternoon, Owens announced that she had been 'sued by the first lady man of France.' 'This is just goofy,' she said. Conservative-media: Is Nashville the nation's new conservative-media nerve center? Owens went on to call the lawsuit an 'obvious and desperate public relations strategy,' and recommended that Macron fire 'everyone' who told her it was a 'very good idea' to be the first sitting first lady of a foreign country to 'file a lawsuit against a journalist of another country.' 'You are literally making history in all the wrong ways,' she said. Owens, who moved to Nashville in 2020, previously teased a second season of the video series, claiming to have information that could force Emmanuel Macron to 'step down.' 'My series has been the undoing of them,' she said. Wednesday's lawsuit is a rare case of a world leader suing for defamation. President Donald Trump has filed multiple defamation lawsuits, including against the publisher of The Wall Street Journal last week. To prevail in U.S. defamation cases, public figures like the Macrons and Trump must show defendants engaged in "actual malice," meaning they knew what they published was false or had reckless disregard for its truth. Reuters reporters Jonathan Stempel and Michel Rose contributed to this report. The USA TODAY Network - The South region's coverage of First Amendment issues is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. Have a story to tell? Reach Angele Latham by email at alatham@ by phone at 931-623-9485, or follow her on Twitter at @angele_latham This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville influencer Candace Owens sued by French president
Local France
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Local France
Macrons file defamation suit against right-wing US podcaster
The 218-page complaint against Candace Owens, who has millions of followers on X and YouTube, was filed by the Macrons in Delaware Superior Court and seeks a jury trial and unspecified punitive damages. In a statement released by their lawyer, the Macrons said they filed the lawsuit after Owens repeatedly ignored requests to retract false and defamatory statements made on an eight-part YouTube and podcast series called "Becoming Brigitte." "Owens' campaign of defamation was plainly designed to harass and cause pain to us and our families and to garner attention and notoriety," they said. Advertisement "We gave her every opportunity to back away from these claims, but she refused. "It is our earnest hope that this lawsuit will set the record straight and end this campaign of defamation once and for all." The suit accuses Owens of using her popular podcast to spread "verifiably false and devastating lies" about the Macrons including that Brigitte Macron was born a man, that they are blood relatives and that Macron was chosen to be France's president as part of a CIA-operated mind control programme. "If ever there was a clear-cut case of defamation, this is it," Tom Clare, a lawyer for the Macrons, said in a statement. "Owens both promoted and expanded on those falsehoods and invented new ones, all designed to cause maximum harm to the Macrons and maximize attention and financial gain for herself." Brigitte Macron, 72, has also taken to the courts in France to combat claims she was born a man. Two women were convicted in September of last year of spreading false claims after they posted a YouTube video in December 2021 alleging that Brigitte Macron had once been a man named Jean-Michel Trogneux -- who is actually her brother. The ruling was overturned by a Paris appeals court and Macron appealed to the highest appeals court, the Court de Cassation, earlier this month.
