French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte plan to present photographic and scientific evidence in a US court to counter claims by far-right commentator Candace Owens that the first lady is transgender.
Owens, a political commentator with a substantial online following, has repeatedly alleged that Brigitte Macron was born male and transitioned before marrying Emmanuel Macron. The first lady, 72, a mother of three, has consistently called these claims baseless and defamatory.
Their lawyer, Tom Clare, told the BBC podcast Fame Under Fire that the allegations had been “incredibly upsetting” for Brigitte Macron and a distraction for the president. Clare added that the couple is prepared to present expert testimony and family photographs to prove the claims false.
The Macrons, married since 2007, have previously fought similar defamation claims in France. Last September, Brigitte and her brother Jean-Michel Trogneux won a defamation suit against two women spreading false claims about her online.
Emmanuel Macron first met Brigitte at his high school, where she was a teacher. After her divorce, the couple married, and Emmanuel Macron eventually became France’s president. The defamation suit against Owens was filed in Delaware in July.
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