Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, plan to submit photographic and scientific evidence in a U.S. court to prove that the French First Lady is a woman, according to their lawyer.

The couple has filed a defamation lawsuit against right-wing influencer Candace Owens, who spread the claim that Brigitte Macron was born male. Owens’ lawyers have responded with a motion to dismiss the case.

Speaking on the BBC podcast Fame Under Fire, the Macrons’ lawyer, Tom Clare, said that Brigitte Macron found the claims “incredibly painful” and described them as a “distraction” for the French president. “It is a process that she will have to go through in a very public way. But she is willing to do it. She is determined to do whatever it takes to set the record straight,” Clare stated.

The rumor originated in online circles a few years ago, based on a book titled “Becoming Brigitte” by French investigative journalist Xavier Poussard, and spread widely in 2021 through a YouTube video by French bloggers Amandine Roy and Natacha Rey.

Owens’ legal team argues that the case should not have been filed in Delaware, claiming it is unrelated to her business activities registered there. They also stressed that defending the case in that jurisdiction would cause her “significant financial and operational burden.”

Candace Owens repeated her claim that Brigitte Macron is a man on YouTube and across social media platforms.