Politics
Macrons' Defamation Suit Against Candace Owens Moves to Nashville Federal Court
French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron filed a 409-page defamation complaint in Nashville federal court against podcaster Candace Owens, alleging she spread false claims that Brigitte was born male and that the couple are blood relatives. The suit seeks a jury trial and punitive damages.
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, have brought their defamation case against conservative podcaster Candace Owens to Nashville, filing a 409-page complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee on Wednesday. The suit, assigned to Judge Waverly Crenshaw Jr., seeks a jury trial and unspecified compensatory and punitive damages for what the Macrons describe as a sustained campaign of false and defamatory statements that caused personal, professional, and reputational harm.
The complaint centers on four unproven theories Owens advanced in a 2025 podcast and video series that drew millions of views. According to a Nov. 4 court filing, Owens alleged that Brigitte Macron was born a man and stole another person's identity; that the Macrons are blood relatives engaged in incest; that President Macron was chosen as president as part of MKUltra or a similar mind-control program; and that the couple committed forgery, fraud, and abuses of power to cover up these claims.
The legal action follows an earlier suit filed in federal court in Delaware, where Owens' companies are incorporated. A Delaware judge recently dismissed Owens' personal liability for lack of jurisdiction, prompting the Macrons to pursue a separate case in Nashville, where Owens lives. The defendants include Owens and two associated media companies, Candace Owens LLC and GeorgeTom.
The complaint opens by quoting Owens' March 2024 statement that she "would stake [her] entire professional reputation on the fact that Brigitte Macron [the First Lady of France] is in fact a man." It alleges that Owens used the false statement to promote her independent platform, gain notoriety, and make money, disregarding credible evidence disproving her claim in favor of platforming known conspiracy theorists and proven defamers. Rather than engage with the Macrons' attempts to set the record straight, the complaint says, Owens mocked them and used them as fodder for her fan base.
Owens' claims build on French conspiracy theories that have been debunked. In 2024, Brigitte Macron won a defamation case against other far-right media figures advancing similar allegations.
Owens moved to Nashville in 2020 as part of The Daily Wire's relocation from Los Angeles, bringing personalities like Ben Shapiro and Matt Walsh to the city. The move was praised by local GOP leaders, and Owens received a special designation from the Tennessee General Assembly welcoming her to the state. She split with The Daily Wire in 2024, taking her substantial following to YouTube and a dedicated membership site.
The case could result in a trial in Nashville, a development that puts the city at the center of an international legal battle over disinformation and the limits of free speech. The Macrons' decision to pursue punitive damages signals they intend to hold Owens accountable for what they characterize as a deliberate and profitable campaign of lies.