Alex Jones’s lawyer mocks Candace Owens's chances in Emmanuel Macron's defamation lawsuit

Far-right podcaster Candace Owens is facing a defamation lawsuit from French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron, and even conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’s longtime lawyer says she doesn’t stand a chance.

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On Wednesday, the Macrons filed a 218-page complaint in Delaware Superior Court, accusing Owens of leading a “campaign of global humiliation” by spreading what they describe as a barrage of falsehoods, including the baseless claim that Brigitte Macron is a transgender woman who assumed her brother’s identity. The lawsuit details an extensive conspiracy theory promoted by Owens, including allegations that the Macrons are blood relatives, that Emmanuel Macron is the product of CIA experimentation, and that Brigitte Macron committed murder.

Related: French President Macron sues Candace Owens for defamation over claims his wife is transgender

Robert Barnes, a far-right attorney known for representing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, publicly weighed in Thursday night on Owens’s legal prospects. “It’s apparent the people defending @RealCandaceO & thinking she will easily win the libel suit by @EmmanuelMacron have not read the entire complaint,” Barnes posted on X, formerly Twitter. “Owens told some of the dumbest, obvious lies one can tell. She has 0% chance of winning in court.”

When another user asked Barnes to explain, he responded Friday morning: “You’re missing the 100+ other lies she told. The suit is about alleging incest, rape, forgery, fraud, impersonation, murder, bribery, not being the mother, his parents not being his parents, and a bunch of other lies Candace told in the process about photos, articles, books, letters & even lied about the retraction letters she received from the Macrons.”

Barne has a long record defending far-right figures. He previously represented Jones in multiple legal battles, including during his high-profile defamation losses to the families of Sandy Hook victims. Jones was ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion in damages after falsely claiming the 2012 school shooting was a hoax.

Related: Candace Owens Takes Financial Hit Over Transphobic YouTube Videos

Among the specific claims addressed in the filing, the Macrons allege Owens promoted the notion that Brigitte “is a transgender woman perpetrating identity theft.” The suit includes transcripts, screenshots, and promotional materials from Owens’s eight-part YouTube series, Becoming Brigitte, which has garnered more than 2.3 million views.

Owens’s transphobic content has previously drawn consequences: in 2023, YouTube demonetized several of her videos, citing violations of its hate speech and derogatory content policies, including the deliberate misgendering of transgender people.

The lawsuit also states that Owens ignored multiple cease-and-desist letters and “fabricated, altered, or misrepresented” sources to lend credibility to her statements. “Every time the Macrons leave their home, they do so knowing that countless people have heard, and many believe, these vile fabrications,” the filing says. “Owens has dissected their appearance, their marriage, their friends, their family, and their personal history—twisting it all into a grotesque narrative designed to inflame and degrade.”

Attorney Thomas Clare, who represents the Macrons, told The Financial Times that the couple is prepared to travel to Delaware to testify. “They believe it’s important to stand up for themselves,” Clare said.

“Faced with this relentless and unjustified smear campaign,” the lawsuit states, “the Macrons are left with no choice but to seek relief through this Court to set the record straight, prevent further harm, and hold Defendants accountable for their conduct.”