BRIGITTE Macron is planning to present proof she is a woman after losing a shock lawsuit in France over bizarre gender rumours.
The First Lady and her husband, President Emmanuel Macron, are now preparing to submit scientific and photographic evidence in a US defamation case against American right-wing influencer Candace Owens.
AFPBrigitte Macron is planning to present proof that she is a woman[/caption]
AFPThe French First Lady is set to provide scientific and photographic evidence in a US defamation case[/caption]
The lawsuit was filed in Delaware in July, seeking unspecified damages from conservative influencer Candace OwensGetty Images – Getty
Owens, who has millions of followers, has repeatedly claimed Mrs Macron, 70, was born male.
In March she vowed to “wage [her entire professional reputation” on it – even alleging Brigitte is in fact her brother, Jean-Michel Trogneux, and that her first husband never existed.
The Macrons’ lawyer, Tom Clare, said the couple are ready to fight back.
He told the BBC there will be “expert testimony that will come out that will be scientific in nature.”
“She is firmly resolved to do what it takes to set the record straight,” he added.
Clare confirmed photos of Mrs Macron pregnant and with her children exist and would be presented in court.
“It is incredibly upsetting to think that you have to go and subject yourself to put this type of proof forward,” he said.
“But she’s willing to do it.”
The couple’s 218-page lawsuit was filed in Delaware in July, and seeks unspecified damages.
It accuses Owens of a “campaign of global humiliation” and “relentless bullying”.
The Macrons said in a statement at the time: “Because Ms Owens systematically reaffirmed these falsehoods in response to each of our attorneys’ repeated requests for a retraction, we ultimately concluded that referring the matter to a court of law was the only remaining avenue for remedy.
“Ms Owens’ campaign of defamation was plainly designed to harass and cause pain to us and our families and to garner attention and notoriety.
“We gave her every opportunity to back away from these claims, but she refused.
“It is our earnest hope that this lawsuit will set the record straight and end this campaign of defamation once and for all.”
Owens’ lawyers have filed a motion to dismiss, arguing the case should not be heard in Delaware and claiming forcing her to defend it there would cause “substantial financial and operational hardship”.
She has insisted she believes the claims and defended them as free speech.
French President Emmanuel Macron denies his wife Brigitte was born as a manAFP
AFPThe Macrons’ lawyer stated photos of Mrs Macron pregnant and with her children exist[/caption]
Shutterstock EditorialThe gender rumours surrounding Brigitte date back to 2021[/caption]
The rumours trace back to 2021, when French far-right magazine Faits et Documents published the claims.
Bloggers Natacha Rey and Amandine Roy pushed them in a YouTube interview that went viral.
The Macrons initially won a defamation case in 2024, but it was overturned this year on freedom of expression grounds.
President Macron has furiously denied the allegations, branding them “false and fabricated.”
On International Women’s Day he said: “The worst thing is the false information and fabricated scenarios. People eventually believe them.”
Brigitte’s uncle, Jean-Louis Auzière, testified in an earlier case, telling the court: “I worked with Brigitte until the end of the 1980s, I can confirm to you that she is not a man.”
Her daughter, Tiphaine Auzière, also hit back, telling Paris Match: “I have concerns about the level of society when I hear what is circulating on social networks about my mother being a man.”
For Macron, the row is personal.
“This is about defending my honour! Because this is nonsense,” he told Paris Match.
“This is someone who knew full well that she had false information and did so with the aim of causing harm.”
The US case will hinge on whether Owens acted with “actual malice” — knowingly spreading lies or recklessly ignoring the truth.
GettyThe 218-page lawsuit filed in Delaware seeks unspecified damages for a ‘campaign of global humiliation’[/caption]
GettyThe Macrons initially won a defamation case in 2024, but it was overturned this year on freedom of expression grounds[/caption]