For Candace Owens, the American conservative pundit facing an active lawsuit from French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte regarding her allegations that the latter is biologically male, a Paris criminal court’s Monday conviction of 10 French nationals for cyberharassing the First Lady over comparable assertions might appear to instill concern about her own legal situation. Yet rather than retreat, Owens has intensified her stance.
“These headlines are once again crafted to mislead the public into thinking Brigitte has proven her womanhood,” Owens , addressing a New York Times piece on the convictions. “NO. France merely possesses anti-cyberbullying legislation. Essentially, Rachel Dolezal could obtain a conviction against individuals for stating she was born Caucasian.”
“Reflect on the reality that this individual committed statutory rape of a student and now obtains convictions for ‘cyberbullying’ against those discussing his sordid history,” Owens , maintaining that the First Lady was born male. “Brigitte is perilous. The fact that he rises each day, dons a counterfeit wig, lipstick and mascara, and wages war against those aware of his authentic identity is genuinely psychopathic.”
The French tribunal imposed custodial sentences on the majority of defendants, several of whom had , for posting “exceptionally degrading, insulting, and spiteful” remarks about the First Lady. Certain defendants argued their Macron-related posts were intended as jokes; others contended they were engaging in valid discourse. Tiphaine Auzière, Brigitte Macron’s daughter from a prior marriage, gave testimony regarding the burden the rumors and discussion placed upon her mother and their family.
In a , the 36-year-old Owens replied to a user warning of an approaching suppression of free expression in America akin to French regulations. “This represents the complete objective of the litigation against me,” Owens answered. “Independent journalism has created difficulty for the deep state in preventing the populace from discovering the malevolence they engage in. They now seek to limit expression in the United States because we constitute the final barrier against them.”
Owens announced she will revive “Becoming Brigitte,” a video and podcast production centered on the discredited conspiracy claim that Brigitte Macron was male, later this year. The program formed part of the grievance filed against Owens.
“America must combat this oppression with maximum determination,” she declared. “These psychopaths must not prevail.”
The partnership between Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron, specifically their 24-year age difference, has supplied material for examination and speculation since the former took France’s top position in 2017. The pair encountered one another while Emmanuel Macron was a student at a Jesuit secondary school in Amiens, where Brigitte served as an instructor.
Eight males and two females, ranging from 41 to 65 years old, faced accusations of untruthfully declaring Brigitte was male and connecting the age disparity to supposed pedophilia via online publications. reported that certain posts garnered “tens of thousands of views,” and that chief magistrate Thierry Donard characterized the allegations regarding the First Lady’s “purported pedophilia” as “spiteful, demeaning and offensive” and “deliberately injurious to the plaintiff.”
Among the 10 defendants, eight received suspended punishments ranging from four to eight months, while a ninth got a six-month incarceration for failing to appear at the proceeding. Three persons identified as principal “ringleaders” were additionally commanded to undergo six-month suspensions of their social media profiles. Every defendant was mandated to complete an internet-based class on hate speech and jointly compensate Brigitte Macron €10,000 (approximately $12,000) for psychological harm.
Jean Ennochi, legal counsel for Brigitte Macron, Monday that the tribunal’s decision “is logical” in acknowledging the First Lady’s mistreatment. “The most crucial elements are the prevention training and the deactivation of certain accounts,” Ennochi supplemented.
The First Lady personally was absent from the October hearing spanning two days, though she appeared on French broadcaster TF1 on Sunday prior to the court’s judgment, stating her tormentors had persistently disregarded proof confirming her sex and leveraging her situation to underscore the dangers of cyberbullying, which she has .
“I wish to assist adolescents in combating bullying,” Brigitte Macron further commented Sunday, “and if I fail to establish a precedent, it will prove challenging.”
