US judge narrows Macrons' defamation lawsuit against American podcaster

A judge in the United States has ruled that French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte ​could continue their defamation lawsuit against the companies of the American podcaster Candace Owens, but not against Owens herself.

Issued on: 29/10/2026 - 09:59

The Macrons had filed a lawsuit in July 2025 against Owens and two companies, accusing her of helping fan online rumours about whether Brigitte is a transgender woman.

Owens, 37, an influencer with a large following on social media platforms, has claimed that Brigitte was a man.

Delaware Superior Court Judge Sheldon Rennie said in a ruling on Tuesday that Owens could not be held personally liable in the case.

But Rennie allowed the suit against two companies associated with her – Candace Owens LLC and GeorgeTom Inc – to continue.

Question of jurisdiction

Rennie said the Delaware court did not hold jurisdiction over Owens because her residence was in another state, Tennessee.

The ruling means that if the French first couple were to eventually win the case, Owens' personal assets would be shielded.

In their lawsuit, the Macrons said Owens ⁠touted ​false claims and conspiracy theories ​against them "to promote her independent platform, gain notoriety, and make money".

Rennie deferred judgment on Owens' motion to dismiss ‌the ⁠Macrons' litigation until he was briefed on how French defamation law and statutes of limitation intersect with US law.

"I am in the absolute best mood over this Macron dismissal," Owens said on X on Wednesday.

'Centuries of patriarchal history': why trans rumours are wielded against women

Damages to Brigitte Macron

Brigitte Macron, 73, has taken to the courts in France to combat claims she was born a man.

Two French YouTubers, Natacha Rey and Amandine Roy, were convicted in September 2024 of spreading false claims after they posted a video in December 2021 alleging that Brigitte Macron had once been a man named Jean-Michel Trogneux – who is actually her brother.

Rey and Roy were ordered to pay €8,000 in damages to Brigitte Macron and €5,000 to Jean-Michel Trogneux.

The defendants were also given a suspended fine of €500.

Did French media silence enable Brigitte Macron fake news story to go viral?

Brigitte Macron had filed a libel complaint against the two women after their claim went viral, triggering conspiracy theories notably among the far right.

Roy, an online fortune-teller, interviewed Rey, a self-described independent journalist, for four hours on her YouTube channel in December 2021.

The women discussed the unsubstantiated rumour that Brigitte Macron had undergone gender reassignment, with Rey claiming to have uncovered a  “state lie” and “scam”.

The claim went viral just weeks before France's 2022 presidential election, spreading even to the US where Owen derided the first lady in a now deleted YouTube video.

Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning

Keep up to date with international news by downloading the RFI app