French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, filed a 22-count defamation lawsuit in Delaware against Candace Owens on Wednesday due to Owens's claims that Brigitte is a man, CNN reported.
Owens posted a video in March to her 4.5 million followers on YouTube titled "Is France's First Lady a Man?"
Owens claimed that this was "likely the biggest scandal in political history," CNN noted.
Owens confirmed that the lawsuit had been filed in a live broadcast on YouTube on Wednesday.
The Macron's lawyer argued that Owens has been broadcasting "a relentless year-long campaign of defamation" against the French president and his wife.
Since her March video, Owens has also produced numerous videos about Brigitte Macron, including a multi-part YouTube series titled "Becoming Brigitte."
Macron's lawyer also claims that Owens has sold merchandise "promoting the claim", CNN added.
The lawsuit is for punitive damages and follows allegations that they have suffered "substantial economic damages," including loss of future business opportunities.
Similar case ongoing in French courts
While the lawsuit claims Owens was the first in the US to spread this theory, Brigitte Macron sued two French women for spreading similar theories in 2022. Macron won that case, but the two women won an appeal, with the lawsuit moving to a higher court, CNN French-language affiliate BFMTV noted.
France's Élysée Palace, the official office of the presidency, stated that it would not comment on the lawsuit, as it is a "private affair."