Macrons sue Candace Owens for defamation
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President of France Emmanuel Macron and First Lady of France Brigitte Macron pose before a State dinner on March 31 in Paris, France. Photo: Jean Catuffe/Getty Images
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife filed a defamation lawsuit against ring-wing podcaster Candace Owens alleging she circulated "outlandish, defamatory, and far-fetched fictions" about the couple for profit.
The big picture: The 219-page complaint, which was filed in Delaware, alleges Owens' "lies have caused tremendous damage to the Macrons," subjecting the French leader and his wife to "a campaign of global humiliation."
Driving the news: Owens used the false claim that the French first lady was born a man to "promote her independent platform, gain notoriety, and make money," the 22-count suit alleges.
- She published a series and social media posts promoting conspiracy theories about the couple "with reckless disregard for the truth," the complaint alleges, and continued to double down despite direct outreach and retraction demands from the Macrons.
- "These claims are demonstrably false, and Owens knew they were false when she published them," the complaint reads. "Yet, she published them anyway. And the reason is clear: it is not the pursuit of truth, but the pursuit of fame."
Catch up quick: Starting in March 2024, the suit alleges, Owens began promoting the false claim that the first lady was born a man before her departure from the Daily Wire and continued "recycling" that falsehood and spreading other conspiracies on her own podcast and social media.
- The lawsuit also alleges she created and sold merchandise to promote her claims.
What they're saying: A spokesperson for Owens said in a statement to Axios she is "not shutting up" and will "address everything on her show today."
- "This is a foreign government attacking the First Amendment rights of an American independent journalist," the spokesperson said.
- The French Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.
Zoom in: The suit points to Owens' history of platforming conspiracy theories and antisemitic tropes.
- "Her content is not intended to inform but to inflame and attract attention through sensationalism and conspiracy theories," it alleges.
- According to the complaint, the Macrons seek an unspecified amount of damages, which will be "determined at trial."
What they're saying: After Owens continued platforming such claims in response to repeated retraction requests, the Macrons said in a statement that taking the matter to court was the only remaining solution.
- "We gave her every opportunity to back away from these claims, but she refused," their statement read. "It is our earnest hope that this lawsuit will set the record straight and end this campaign of defamation once and for all."
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