Overview

• Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron filed their complaint on July 23 in Delaware Superior Court, accusing Owens of knowingly disseminating false claims that Brigitte Macron was born male
• The 218-page suit demands a jury trial and unspecified exemplary damages to address reputational harm and financial costs incurred fighting the misinformation
• Owens’ eight-part "Becoming Brigitte" series has drawn millions of views since January by perpetuating the baseless theory that Brigitte was replaced by her brother Jean-Michel
• After two French women were acquitted on appeal on July 10 for spreading the same rumor, the Macrons have lodged a cassation appeal with France’s Court of Cassation
• Candace Owens has publicly rejected the lawsuit as an assault on free speech, setting the stage for a transatlantic legal clash over online disinformation