French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, have reportedly engaged private investigators to look into American podcaster Candice Owens prior to pursuing legal action, which they have termed an “unfounded honorary loss.”
This move signals the seriousness with which the couple is approaching their legal struggle, as noted by the Financial Times.
The investigations conducted by Nardello & Co, based in Manhattan, gathered information regarding Owens’ political affiliations and public statements, as reported.
Investigators unearthed links between Owens and far-right figures in France, the UK, and the US, along with mentions in Russian state media. Dan Nardello, the executive chair of the company and a former federal prosecutor in New York, indicated that Macron was well aware of who Owens was when initiating the lawsuit.
Central to the dispute is Owens’ podcast series, “Beging Brigitte,” which has garnered millions of listeners and propagated claims about the French first lady being born male. Macron’s lawsuit, filed last month in Delaware, characterizes this assertion as “quirky, honourable, distant fiction.”
Lawyer Tom Claire from Claire Rock, representing the couple, noted that part of the rationale for hiring investigators was to understand why Owens and other conservative commentators have targeted them, providing context to the implications of these claims.
Owens has labeled the lawsuit an overreaction. The investigators also tracked the evolution of Owens’ political stance, noting that she initially identified as a liberal before becoming a strong supporter of Donald Trump.
Furthermore, they traced the origins of the rumor about Brigitte Macron back to 2017, which surfaced among Spanish bloggers and gained traction in France by 2021 through Xavier Poussard, who was previously involved with far-right publications.
Poussard later translated his findings into English in 2024 and shared them with Owens and others connected to Trump. He claimed that Owens was unaware of the allegations until shortly before they became public, suggesting that her involvement amplified the narrative thanks to backing from Trump’s associates.
The first mention of the rumors by Owens occurred in March 2024, when she referenced an article from the Daily Mail in an attempt to expose it. She subsequently featured Poussard in a lengthy interview, portraying him as silenced by Macron. After her podcast premiered, Russian state-controlled media outlets began reporting extensively on the claims.
Investigators found that the Russian RT network had published over 30 articles about Owens since 2018. They noted, however, that there was no direct evidence linking her to Russian officials, although she had interacted online with Alexander Dugin, a prominent Russian nationalist and theorist.
The report further detailed her connections to Malechal, who now belongs to a far-right party after leaving Marine Le Pen’s group. Owens spoke at the 2019 Deradreut Conference in Paris, organized by nationalists associated with Malechal, and they have appeared in social media exchanges.
Moreover, investigators catalogued Owens’ criticisms of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which included disparaging remarks. They highlighted her associations with other right-wing figures, including British politician Nigel Farage.
In the lawsuit, Macron accused Owens of perpetuating falsehoods, particularly asserting that Brigitte Macron was born under the name Jean Michel Trogleux. Claire mentioned that the Macrons are prepared to testify in person at the Delaware trial.
In response to the unfolding situation, Owens remarked, “It’s an unfortunate and ominous pattern to abuse Emmanuel and blame it on Russia.” She also suggested that the couple is spending significantly on legal and public relations efforts, branding it as a “psychological gaslight.” Owens claimed that Brigitte Macron’s mental health issues undermine her husband’s position.
“Everyone in the world should pray for President Macron,” she added, suggesting he is caught in a perpetual cycle of madness he hasn’t addressed.
