French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte are taking legal action against American podcaster Candace Owens. The couple filed a defamation lawsuit in Delaware, accusing Owens of spreading false and shocking claims. Owens said online that Brigitte could be a man, that the Macrons committed incest, and that the CIA controls them. These rumors have spread for over a year despite repeated requests to stop. Owens even sold T-shirts mocking the Macrons.
Tom Clare, the lawyer representing the couple, explained that suing Owens was a last resort. The couple had tried for a year to convince her to stop spreading lies, but she refused and mocked them instead. Clare said these lies hurt the Macrons not only in public but also in their private lives, as people even in their social circles question them about these false stories.
Owens reacted on Instagram, calling the lawsuit a desperate “public relations strategy” and saying she would not back down. She has a history of spreading conspiracy theories, Holocaust denial, anti-LGBT comments, and anti-Semitic statements. The lawyer believes her lack of remorse will strengthen the Macrons’ case for punitive damages. The lawsuit aims to stop this “smear campaign” and hold Owens accountable for her repeated defamatory actions.
Vocabulary :
• lawsuit (noun): a legal case brought to court.
• defamation (noun): saying false things that damage someone’s reputation.
• smear (noun): a false story meant to hurt someone’s image.
• conspiracy (noun): a secret plan or theory about illegal or false events.
• mock (verb): to laugh at or make fun of someone.
• retract (verb): to take back or withdraw a statement.
• punitive (adj.): meant to punish someone.
• deposition (noun): formal questioning under oath in a legal case.
• fabrications (noun): lies or invented stories.
• accountable (adj.): responsible for actions or mistakes.