French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, reportedly hired a Manhattan-based private investigations firm before filing a defamation lawsuit against podcaster Candace Owens. According to The Financial Times, the couple hired Nardello & Co. to research Owens’ political associations and past public remarks — including links to right-wing figures in France, Britain and the U.S. — as well as coverage of her work featured in Russian state media.
Lawsuit stems from podcast claims
At the center of the dispute is Owens’ podcast series “Becoming Brigitte,” which included the claim that Brigitte Macron was assigned male at birth. The Macrons’ lawsuit, filed last month in Delaware, describes the allegation as “outlandish, defamatory and far-fetched fictions.”
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The couple’s lawyer, Tom Clare, told The Financial Times that part of the reason for hiring investigators was to understand why Owens “targeted the couple” and to provide jurors with any context about the source of her claims.
Origin of the rumor
Investigators said the claim originated from a Spanish blogger in 2017. The story began circulating more widely in France by 2021, amplified by Xavier Poussard, who previously edited a right-wing publication. In 2024, Poussard said he translated his reporting into English and forwarded it to Owens and individuals connected to President Donald Trump. Owens’ “Becoming Brigitte” series debuted this year.
Owens responds
Owens has dismissed the lawsuit as an “overreaction.” In a statement, she accused the Macrons of “psychological gaslighting” and spending “real money to quiet the paranoia of her past.”
In Owens’ podcast episode on Monday, she criticized the Macrons’ decision to hire a private investigator.
“Brigitte is displaying attributes of mental illness, which severely undermines the office her husband holds,” Owens said.
The Macrons filed their lawsuit in Delaware. Clare told the Financial Times that the two will travel to the United States to appear in person at the trial.
