In a global political landscape increasingly defined by digital disinformation, French President Emmanuel Macron has chosen a bold and unprecedented path: taking the fight for his reputation to a courtroom in the United States. In a move that has garnered international attention, he and his wife, Brigitte, have filed a lawsuit against right-wing American influencer Candace Owens, who has been peddling a bizarre and unsubstantiated theory that the French first lady was born a man. For Macron, this isn't just a legal skirmish; it's a matter of "upholding the truth" and "defending his honor."
The conspiracy theory, which originated in 2021 with fringe figures in France, was picked up by Owens and amplified to her millions of followers through a podcast series. Despite its outlandish nature, the lie gained traction and was even discussed by prominent American media personalities. The Macrons' lawsuit, filed in Delaware, claims that this has caused them "substantial reputational damage" and forced them to spend "considerable sums of money to correct the public record." This legal action, Macron told Paris Match, was a necessary response to a lie that "grew so big in the United States."
Macron’s decision to sue, despite warnings about the potential for a "Streisand effect," is a testament to the gravity with which he views the situation. He has publicly dismissed the argument that his legal action is an infringement on free speech, drawing a clear line between freedom of expression and the deliberate spread of "false news." He argued that those who invoke free speech as a defense are often the same people who "ban journalists from the Oval Office," a clear jab at the Trump administration. For Macron, the lawsuit is not about silencing a critic but about holding someone accountable for intentionally using misinformation to cause harm.
The legal battle has also exposed the meticulous and strategic approach of the French president's team. It was revealed that the Macrons hired investigators from a top corporate intelligence firm, Nardello & Co., to dig into Owens' background. The report, which documented her shift from a self-proclaimed liberal to a conservative firebrand and her links to far-right figures and a Russian nationalist, was used to build their case. This shows that the lawsuit is not a knee-jerk reaction but a carefully calculated move to understand and challenge the motivation behind the campaign against them. For her part, Owens has doubled down on her claims, calling the lawsuit "goofy" and a "vicious public relations" stunt. She has vowed to fight the case in Delaware, setting the stage for a dramatic legal and ideological confrontation.
