Macrons sue Candace Owens for defamation
The gist
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife filed a 409-page federal defamation complaint against podcaster Candace Owens in Nashville.
The suit tests how far U.S. courts reach claims about a foreign first lady.
How it unfolded
- 2021According to the complaint, the theory about Brigitte Macron began circulating in France through claims by Natacha Rey, later repeated by Amandine Roy in a YouTube video and in writings by journalist Xavier Poussard that Owens later cited.
- Mar 2024According to the complaint, Owens first publicly claimed Brigitte Macron was born a man and assumed another person's identity.
- Dec 2024The Macrons sent their first retraction demand to Owens; she then published a multi-part podcast series.
Key terms
- defamation
- A communication that injures a third party's reputation and causes a legally redressable injury.
- personal jurisdiction
- A court's authority over the parties to a lawsuit, letting it rule on and enforce decisions against them.
- libel tourism
- The practice of filing a defamation lawsuit in a jurisdiction with weaker defenses for defendants, chosen to gain advantage.
Source: Wikipedia