Macrons’ Defamation Case Against Candace Owens Lands in Nashville

French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte advanced an ongoing defamation case against conservative media figure Candace Owens this week with a new filing in Nashville. Owens made several unproven claims about Brigitte’s gender identity and the nature of the Macrons’ marriage throughout a 2025 podcast and video series that racked up millions of views.

The Macrons now pursue a jury trial and unspecified damages for what they describe as Owens’ campaign of extensive personal, professional and reputational harm. They contest four major theories advanced by Owens.

Reads a Nov. 4 court filing: “Owens made the false and defamatory allegations that Mrs. Macron, born a man, stole another person’s identity to become Brigitte; Mrs. Macron and President Macron are blood relatives involved in incest; President Macron was chosen to be the President of France as part of MKUltra or a similar mind-control program; and Mrs. Macron and President Macron are committing forgery, fraud, and abuses of power to cover up these ‘facts.’”

The French couple sued Owens and two associated media companies, Candace Owens LLC and GeorgeTom, almost immediately in federal court in Delaware, where Owens’ companies are incorporated. A Delaware judge recently dismissed Owens’ personal liability for lack of jurisdiction, leading the Macrons to pursue a separate case in Nashville, where Owens lives.

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Filings appeared in the Middle District of Tennessee under Judge Waverly Crenshaw Jr. on Wednesday. A 409-page complaint describes the extensive allegations of personal and reputational damage done by Owens against the Macrons. It opens by describing Owens’ complete confidence in her position. 

“In March 2024, Candace Owens, a right-wing podcaster, told the world she ‘would stake [her] entire professional reputation on the fact that Brigitte Macron [the First Lady of France] is in fact a man,’” the complaint begins. “Since then, Owens has used this false statement to promote her independent platform, gain notoriety, and make money. Owens disregarded all credible evidence disproving her claim in favor of platforming known conspiracy theorists and proven defamers. And rather than engage with President and Mrs. Macron’s attempts to set the record straight, Owens mocked them and used them as additional fodder for her frenzied fan base.”

Owens’ video and podcast work builds on French conspiracy theories that have been debunked. In 2024, Brigitte Macron won a defamation case against other far-right media figures advancing similar claims against her. Court filings this week could result in a trial for Owens, at which time the Macrons intend to pursue punitive damages.

Conservative media company The Daily Wire moved operations from Los Angeles to Nashville in 2020, bringing personalities like Owens, Ben Shapiro and Matt Walsh to the city. These podcast and internet stars built reputations for inflammatory claims about politics, specifically issues around trans people, abortion, same-sex marriage, race, DEI and Israel. The move was vaunted by local GOP leaders — Owens even received a special designation from the Tennessee General Assembly welcoming her to the state. Owens split with The Daily Wire in 2024, taking her substantial following to YouTube and a dedicated membership site.