Home

French President Emmanuel Macron and Madame Brigitte Macron File 22-Count Defamation Lawsuit Against Far-Right Podcaster Candace Owens

via Business Wire

Tom Clare of Clare Locke LLP, lead counsel for French President Emmanuel Macron and Madame Brigitte Macron, today announced the filing of a 22-Count defamation lawsuit against far-right podcaster Candace Owens in Delaware Superior Court for the numerous false statements she has broadcast as part of a relentless year-long campaign of defamation against the Macrons. Ms. Owens has promoted a preposterous narrative about the Macrons including incendiary and verifiably false accusations of identity theft, incest, violent crimes, and mind control.

In reckless disregard for facts and evidence in her possession, Ms. Owens is at the epicenter of an online crusade predicated on her assertion that she “would stake [her] entire professional reputation on the fact that Brigitte Macron [the First Lady of France] is in fact a man.”

As detailed in the complaint, the filing of this lawsuit follows three separate retraction demands sent to Ms. Owens in the last year containing incontrovertible evidence disproving her allegations and proving, among other things, that Mrs. Macron was born a woman named Brigitte Trogneux, that she is not a blood relative of President Macron, and that the Macrons are not being controlled or blackmailed by unknown forces. Instead of doing the right thing, Ms. Owens mocked the retraction demands and used them to further taunt the Macrons, double down on her false and defamatory statements, and invent even more damaging lies about the Macrons and their families.

“Because Ms. Owens systematically reaffirmed these falsehoods in response to each of our attorneys’ repeated requests for a retraction, we ultimately concluded that referring the matter to a court of law was the only remaining avenue for remedy,” stated President Emmanuel Macron and Madame Brigitte Macron. “Ms. Owens’ campaign of defamation was plainly designed to harass and cause pain to us and our families and to garner attention and notoriety. We gave her every opportunity to back away from these claims, but she refused. It is our earnest hope that this lawsuit will set the record straight and end this campaign of defamation once and for all. We are grateful to our attorneys at Clare Locke LLP for so zealously and effectively representing us and to Dan Nardello and his colleagues at Nardello & Co. for the wealth of indisputable evidence their exhaustive investigation revealed.”

“If ever there was a clear-cut case of defamation, this is it,” stated attorney for the Macrons Tom Clare. “Relying on discredited falsehoods originally presented by a self-proclaimed spiritual medium and so-called investigative journalist, Ms. Owens both promoted and expanded on those falsehoods and invented new ones, all designed to cause maximum harm to the Macrons and maximize attention and financial gain for herself. Despite the irrefutable evidence that was provided to her on multiple occasions, she not only persisted but doubled down on her attacks. To make matters worse, many others have republished her lies, thereby increasing their global audience and the emotional and reputational harm they have caused. It is clear that for Ms. Owens truth is irrelevant. This lawsuit is about bringing that truth to light and seeking justice for the Macrons by holding Ms. Owens to account. We are confident that the facts are on our side and look forward to proving her liability in court.”

The Macrons are seeking punitive damages against Ms. Owens and her business entities for 22 counts of defamation, false light, and defamation by implication.

The complaint was filed in the Superior Court of the State of Delaware and can be viewed here.

About Clare Locke LLP

Clare Locke is dedicated to litigating complex defamation matters and representing clients facing high-profile reputational attacks. The firm’s clients are Fortune 100 companies, hedge funds, private equity firms, professional sports teams, CEOs, journalists, and other prominent individuals who – by virtue of their success, public profile, and nationally recognized brands – are unfairly targeted by the media. Tom Clare and Libby Locke, together with their team of top-notch litigators, provide experienced, aggressive advocacy in litigation matters, and deliver practical, real-world advice to clients who must deal with the media in crisis situations.

About Nardello & Co.

Ranked as the pre-eminent US investigative firm by Chambers & Partners and named by Global Investigations Review as the 2024 Investigations Consultancy of the Year, Nardello & Co.’s experienced professionals around the globe handle a broad range of issues including civil and white collar criminal litigation and arbitration support, due diligence, anti-corruption & fraud investigations, asset tracing, activist defense, political risk and strategic intelligence, digital investigations and cyber defense, monitorships and independent investigations, and compliance consulting.

Contacts