In brief
Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron are preparing to submit photographic and scientific evidence to a US court to affirm Brigitte's identity amidst defamation claims made by right-wing influencer Candace Owens. Their attorney asserts Brigitte was deeply affected by these claims, which they believe serve as a distraction to President Macron's duties. Expert testimonies and potentially personal photographs will be part of their case as they aim to set the record straight.
Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, are planning to present photographic and scientific evidence to a US court to prove Mrs. Macron is a woman.
Their lawyer states this comes in response to defamation claims made by right-wing influencer Candace Owens, who has promoted the controversial belief that Brigitte Macron was born male.
Ms. Owens' legal team has filed a motion to dismiss the Macrons' lawsuit.
During a recent episode of the BBC's Fame Under Fire podcast, the Macrons' attorney Tom Clare expressed that the allegations have been "incredibly upsetting" for Mrs. Macron and a distraction for President Macron as he balances his responsibilities.
Clare affirms they will present expert testimony that will come out that will be scientific in nature, aiming to debunk the allegations thoroughly.
He articulated the emotional distress that comes with having to disclose personal evidence in a public court setting.
If that unpleasantness [...] is what it takes to set a record straight and stop this, she's 100% ready to meet that burden, Clare asserted.
He confirmed that photographs, including ones of Brigitte during her pregnancies, would be submitted as evidence in court.
This allegation has its roots in fringe online communities, and the Macrons previously won a defamation case in France against those who first spread the rumor, though that ruling was overturned on appeal.
In July, they formally filed a lawsuit against Ms. Owens in the US, claiming she ignored credible evidence and instead promoted known conspiracy theorists.
In American defamation cases, public figures like the Macrons must prove actual malice, showing that the defendant knowingly spread false information.
Owens' lawyers argue that the case's venue in Delaware is inappropriate and will cause hardship, prompting the Macrons to maintain their fight for truth against these allegations that President Macron has labeled as nonsense.
