French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, have filed a defamation lawsuit in a U.S. court against American conservative commentator Candace Owens.
The case, lodged in Delaware, accuses Owens of repeatedly spreading false claims that Brigitte Macron was born male.
According to the couple’s legal representative, attorney Tom Clare, the lawsuit comes after more than a year of unsuccessful efforts to get Owens to stop making the claims and issue a correction.
The lawyer stated that the decision to take legal action was made after Owens allegedly ignored multiple private appeals and continued to mock both the Macrons and attempts to clarify the truth.
The legal filing includes documented evidence affirming that Brigitte Macron was born female and has always identified as such.
The couple intends to seek a substantial damages payout at trial, depending on Owens’ actions moving forward.
The legal team noted that if she continues spreading the claims before the trial concludes, the requested compensation may increase.
There has been no official statement from the French presidential office regarding the case.
Brigitte Macron, born Brigitte Auziere, was previously married and had three children before meeting Emmanuel Macron.
The pair met while she was a teacher and he was a student at a high school in northern France. Their relationship began when he was still in school, and he later moved to Paris to finish his studies.
Brigitte joined him in the capital after divorcing her former husband, and the couple married in 2007.
Emmanuel Macron has served as President of France since 2017.