The French president and his wife have filed a defamation lawsuit in the United States against a right-wing podcaster who allegedly claimed that the first lady was born male. They accuse the podcaster of spreading harmful and allegedly false information to gain attention and grow her audience.

The lawsuit describes this as a deliberate and ongoing campaign of humiliation, targeting their personal lives, appearance, marriage, and family history with distorted and damaging stories. One particular claim mentioned is that the first lady was born with a different name, which actually belongs to her brother — a claim the plaintiffs say is false.

The podcaster responded by denying the accuracy of the lawsuit and calling it a desperate attempt to damage her reputation. She also stated that she was unaware of the lawsuit until it was filed, despite prior communication between lawyers on both sides.

The podcaster’s spokesperson accused the French couple of attempting to intimidate a journalist and infringe on free speech, noting that the first lady declined several requests for interviews.

The French president and his wife said they took legal action only after the podcaster refused multiple demands to retract the allegedly false statements. They emphasized that the campaign was meant to cause them and their families distress while increasing the podcaster’s notoriety.

Such lawsuits are uncommon for world leaders, as defamation cases involving public figures require proving that false statements were made knowingly or with reckless disregard for the truth — a high legal bar.

The alleged false claims also circulated on social media and were discussed on popular conservative podcasts, fueling widespread misinformation.

Previously, the first lady had won a similar defamation case in her home country, but the decision was recently overturned on appeal, and she is now seeking further legal recourse.French Presidential Couple Sues Podcaster, Calling Allegations Against First Lady ‘False and Harmful’