French couple submits ‘scientific’ evidence in lawsuit against US influencer

Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron plan to present “scientific” evidence and photos proving that France’s first lady is a woman, their lawyer confirmed Friday.

Attorney Tom Clare said the Macrons intend to testify in their lawsuit against conservative American commentator Candace Owens, who they accuse of fueling online rumors questioning whether Brigitte Macron is transgender.

“There will be expert testimony, scientific in nature, demonstrating the falsity of the statements,” Clare told the BBC on the “Fame Under Fire” podcast. The law firm confirmed his comments to AFP.

Speculation about Brigitte Macron’s gender has circulated in France for years. The lawsuit comes as President Macron faces low popularity and political instability.

Clare did not disclose details about the expert testimony but said it is designed to show that Owens, a social media influencer with a large following, spread false claims about the first lady.

The plaintiffs filed their defamation case in Delaware in July and also plan to submit photos of Brigitte Macron with her children and from her pregnancies.

“These falsehoods are like a cancer,” Clare said. “They metastasize into mainstream media. And because Owens has a large audience, people pay attention.”

On Thursday, Owens posted a message on her X channel dismissing the Macrons’ allegations against her as “verifiably false.”

“She [Brigitte Macron] isn’t suing me for saying she’s a man. She has never sued anyone ever for saying she’s a dude. Because she is one,” Owens wrote.

Brigitte Macron, 72, has also taken to the courts in France to combat claims she was born a man.

Two women were convicted in September 2024 of spreading false claims after they posted a YouTube video in December 2021 alleging that Brigitte Macron had once been a man named Jean-Michel Trogneux who is actually her brother.

The ruling against Natacha Rey and Amandine Roy was overturned by a Paris appeals court and Macron appealed to the highest appeals court, the Court de Cassation, earlier in July.