FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, are planning to present photographic and scientific evidence in a US court to prove that Mrs. Macron is a woman.
Their lawyer says the French president and Mrs Macron will submit documentation in a defamation lawsuit they have filed against right-wing influencer Candace Owens after she promoted her belief that Brigitte Macron was born male.
Ms. Owens' lawyers have responded with a motion to dismiss the claim.
Speaking to the BBC's Fame Under Fire podcast, the Macrons' lawyer in the case, Tom Clare, said that Mrs Macron had found the allegations "extremely disturbing" and that they were a "distraction" for the French president.
"I don't want to suggest that this has somehow taken him off his game. But, like anyone who is dealing with a career and a family life, when your family is under attack, it hurts you. And he is not immune to that because he is the president of a country," he said.
Mr Clare said there would be "expert evidence which would be of a scientific nature" and, while he would not reveal, at this stage, the exact nature of it, he said the couple were prepared to fully demonstrate "both generally and specifically" that the allegations are false.
"It's extremely disturbing to think that you have to go and subject yourself to this kind of evidence," he said.
"It's a process that she will undergo in a very public way. But she is willing to do it. She is determined to do her best to clarify the situation. If the discomfort and embarrassment that she feels from opening herself up in that way is what it takes to establish a clear story and stop this, she is 100% willing to bear that burden," the lawyer said.
When asked if the Macron family would provide photographs of Brigitte pregnant and raising her children, Mr Clare said they exist and will be presented in court where there are rules and standards.
Ms. Owens, a former commentator for the conservative American outlet Daily Wire who has millions of followers on social media, has consistently promoted her view that Brigitte Macron is a man.
In March 2024, she claimed that she would put her "entire professional reputation" at risk over this accusation.
The accusation began in fringe online spaces years ago, notably through a 2021 YouTube video by French bloggers Amandine Roy and Natacha Rey.
The Macron family initially won a defamation case in France against Roy and Rey in 2024, but that decision was overturned on appeal in 2025 on grounds of freedom of expression, not truth. The Macron family is appealing the decision.
In July, the Macron family filed a lawsuit against Ms. Owens in the U.S. It claims she “ignored all credible evidence disproving her claim in favor of the platform of well-known conspiracy theorists and proven defamers.”
In American defamation cases against public figures, plaintiffs are required to prove "actual malice," that the defendant knowingly spread false information or acted with reckless disregard for the truth.
In August, Emmanuel Macron explained to French magazine Paris Match why they had chosen to pursue legal action.
"This is about protecting my honor! Because this is absurd. This is someone who knew very well that he had false information and did this with the intention of causing harm, in the service of an ideology and with established connections to far-right leaders."
Ms. Owens' lawyers have responded to the Macrons' lawsuit with a motion to dismiss, arguing that the case should not have been filed in Delaware because she says it is not related to her businesses, which are incorporated in the state. They claim that forcing her to defend the case in Delaware would cause "significant financial and operational hardship."
The BBC has reached out to Candace Owens' legal team for comment. She has previously said she believes what she is saying is true and that there is nothing more American than freedom of speech and the ability to criticize.
Lini një Përgjigje