Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron Sue Candace Owens for Defamation

French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron filed a 409-page federal defamation lawsuit against American podcaster Candace Owens in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee on November 4, 2026. The complaint includes 88 counts, including defamation and false light, stemming from Owens' "Becoming Brigitte" podcast series. The Macrons allege Owens spread false claims that Brigitte Macron was born male and that the couple are blood relatives.

The lawsuit asserts that Owens used these "outlandish, defamatory, and far-fetched fictions" for financial and ideological gain, specifically by soliciting donations and selling merchandise, including a "Brigitte-Doll." The plaintiffs are seeking actual, presumed, and punitive damages, along with a court order to prevent Owens from republishing the statements.

This legal action follows a July 2025 lawsuit filed in Delaware. On October 27, 2026, a Delaware judge ruled that the court lacked personal jurisdiction over Owens as an individual, though litigation remains pending against her companies, Candace Owens LLC and GeorgeTom, Inc. The new Tennessee filing targets Owens personally in her home state.

Owens acknowledged the suit on November 10, defending the use of the doll and describing a bleach attack on the prop as a traumatic hate crime.