In a legal battle that has captured international attention, French First Lady Brigitte Macron is set to present photographic evidence in a U.S. court to affirm her gender identity.
This move comes as part of a defamation lawsuit against conservative commentator Candace Owens, who has been accused of spreading false claims about Mrs. Macron's gender.
The lawsuit, initiated by Mrs. Macron and her husband, President Emmanuel Macron, in July, seeks to address the "substantial reputational damage" caused by Owens' assertions. According to Breitbart, these claims include the allegation that Mrs. Macron was born male and previously went by the name Jean-Michel Trogneux, who is actually Mrs. Macron's older brother.
Owens has dismissed the lawsuit as an attempt to suppress her voice and conceal the truth.
Tom Clare, the Macrons' attorney, expressed the emotional toll these allegations have taken on the First Lady. Speaking on the BBCs Fame Under Fire podcast, Clare noted that the claims have been "incredibly upsetting" for Mrs. Macron and have served as a "distraction" for President Macron.
Clare remarked, "I dont want to suggest that it somehow has thrown him off his game. But just like anybody who is juggling a career and a family life as well, when your family is under attack, it wears on you. And hes not immune from that because hes the president of a country."
The legal proceedings, filed in Delaware, also aim to counter other unfounded claims, including that President Macron is a product of a CIA mind control program and that he was statutorily raped by Mrs. Macron when they first met during his teenage years.
These allegations have been vehemently denied by the Macron family, who have likened them to conspiracy theories such as flat earth beliefs and reptilian governance. President Macron has publicly denounced these ideas as "false and fabricated" and "frustrating."
To support their case, the Macrons have submitted several pieces of evidence, including an image of Mrs. Macrons birth announcement from April 13, 1953, a childhood photograph with her family, and a picture from her first wedding in 1974. Mrs. Macron, born Brigitte Trogneux in Amiens, France, is a mother of three from a previous marriage.
This lawsuit underscores the challenges faced by public figures in combating misinformation and protecting their reputations. As the case unfolds, it raises questions about the balance between free speech and the dissemination of false information, particularly in the digital age where such claims can spread rapidly.
The outcome of this legal battle may set a precedent for how similar cases are handled in the future, highlighting the ongoing struggle between personal privacy and public scrutiny.
Login