French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, have filed a new defamation lawsuit against commentator Candace Owens in Tennessee, escalating their legal challenge over her repeated claims about the French first lady's identity.
Court records confirm that the complaint was filed on November 4 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. The filing names Owens personally as the defendant.
The Macrons allege that Owens repeatedly published false statements about their personal history and continued promoting those allegations after receiving evidence contradicting them. Their complaint centres on her claim that Brigitte Macron was born male and concealed her identity.
According to The Christian Post, the complaint also challenges Owens' use of a doll to ridicule Brigitte Macron's appearance and alleges that her broadcasts, merchandise and fundraising have helped her profit from the controversy.
The Tennessee filing follows an October ruling that dismissed Owens personally from the couple's earlier Delaware lawsuit because the court lacked jurisdiction over her. That decision concerned where she could be sued and did not resolve the truth of the disputed statements. Proceedings against her media companies remain pending in Delaware.
The Macrons first brought their Delaware case in July 2025. They allege that Owens subsequently expanded her accusations through further episodes of her "Becoming Brigitte" podcast series.
Owens acknowledged the new lawsuit in a November 9 post on X. In the response reproduced by The Christian Post, she used sarcastic comments about the doll to address allegations in the complaint.
The Macrons are seeking damages and an injunction restricting republication of statements found defamatory. Their allegations remain claims in a civil lawsuit, and the Tennessee court has not determined Owens' liability.
