American commentator Candace Owens has launched a sharp critique against a French court's decision to convict ten individuals for the online harassment of France's First Lady, Brigitte Macron. The case centred on malicious falsehoods spread on social media questioning her gender identity.
Owens Challenges The Narrative On Social Media
On January 5, 2026, Owens reposted an article from The New York Times on the platform X, directly challenging the media's framing of the legal outcome. In her caption, she argued that the public was being misled about the nature of the judgment.
"Once again these headlines are written in a way to deceive the public into believing that Brigitte proved she was a woman. NO. France just has cyber-bullying laws," Owens wrote. She extended her argument by drawing a parallel to other public debates on identity, suggesting such laws could be used to punish anyone for disputing personal claims online.
"In essence, Rachel Dolezal could secure a conviction against people for asserting that she was born white," Owens added, referencing the former NAACP chapter leader who was born white but identified as Black.
Details of The Paris Court Verdict
Owens's comments coincided with the Paris court's official ruling on the same day. The court found eight men and two women guilty of cyber-bullying President Emmanuel Macron's wife. The judgment stated that the defendants had propagated false and damaging claims regarding Brigitte Macron's gender and sexuality, with some posts also ridiculing the couple's 24-year age difference. The judge described the comments as degrading and intentionally harmful.
Most of the accused received suspended prison sentences of up to eight months. One individual was jailed after failing to appear in court. The court also mandated penalties including suspended social media accounts. Following the verdict, Brigitte Macron's lawyer, Jean Ennochi, emphasised the significance of these preventative measures and account suspensions.
During the trial, the personal toll of the harassment was laid bare. Tiphaine Auzière, Brigitte Macron's daughter from a previous marriage, testified that the relentless online abuse had affected her mother's health and forced her to be excessively cautious about her public appearance. Auzière also revealed that her own children faced taunts at school because of the theories.
The Larger Legal Battle With Candace Owens
This French ruling precedes a separate and more significant legal confrontation in the United States. On July 23, 2025, the Macrons filed a defamation lawsuit against Candace Owens in the Delaware Superior Court. The lawsuit alleges that Owens spread false claims about Brigitte Macron for over a year.
This legal action followed Owens's podcast series, "Becoming Brigitte," released in February 2025, where she publicly claimed the French First Lady was born male. The Macron's lawsuit contends these assertions caused profound personal harm.
In a television interview on French channel TF1 on January 4, Brigitte Macron expressed hope that taking a stand against such online abuse would send a strong message, particularly to younger generations vulnerable to cyber-bullying.
