Later Rather Than Sooner: Macrons’ Fight To Prove ‘Brigitte Is A Woman’ Gets Scientific

French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte plan to present photographic and scientific evidence in a US court to counter claims promoted by American commentator Candace Owens that Brigitte Macron was born male. The Macrons filed a defamation lawsuit against Candace Owens in July, accusing her of amplifying conspiracy theories despite “all credible evidence disproving her claim.”

Candance Owens’ lawyers responded with a motion to dismiss, arguing the case should not proceed in Delaware, where it was filed, because it does not relate to her businesses in the state.

The couple’s lawyer Tom Clare told the BBC that the claims had been “incredibly upsetting” for Brigitte Macron and a distraction for the French president. He confirmed the couple was

prepared to submit photographic proof, including images of Brigitte Macron pregnant, alongside scientific evidence and expert testimony.

“It is incredibly upsetting to think that you have to go and subject yourself, to put this type of proof forward. But she’s willing to do it. She is firmly resolved to do what it takes to set the record straight,” Tom Clare said.

Tom Clare added that while the process would be uncomfortable, Brigitte Macron was determined. The lawyer said, “If that unpleasantness and that discomfort … is what it takes to stop this, she’s 100% ready to meet that burden.”

Candace Owens, a right-wing influencer with millions of followers, has repeatedly promoted the theory that Brigitte Macron is a man, vowing in March 2024 to stake her “entire professional reputation” on the claim. The allegation originated in fringe online spaces, including a 2021 YouTube video by French bloggers Amandine Roy and Natacha Rey.

The Macrons won a defamation case in France against Roy and Rey in 2024, but that decision was overturned on appeal in 2025 on freedom of expression grounds. The French first couple is currently appealing.

In an interview earlier this year, Emmanuel Macron said, “This is about defending my honour! Because this is nonsense. This is someone who knew full well that she had false information and did so with the aim of causing harm, in the service of an ideology and with established connections to far-right leaders.”