Rais wa Ufaransa Emmanuel Macron amemfungulia mashtaka mwandishi maarufu wa habari kutoka nchini Marekani Candace Owens kwa kutoa taarifa za kupotosha kuwa mke wa Rais Macron , Brigitte Macron ni mwanaume aliyebadili jinsia.
Candace Owens amekuwa mara nyingi akieleza kuwa Brigitte Macron ni mwanaume aliyekuwa akiitwa Jean - Michel Tragnoux na aliyebadili jinsia na kuitwa Veronique kabla ya kuitwa Brigitte
. Candace alikwenda mbali zaidi na kuandaa series iitwayo" Becoming Brigitte" iliyorushwa katika chaneli yake ya YouTube. Kupitia series hiyo, Candace alielezea historia ya Brigitte na historia ya Emmanuel hadi kufikia hatua ya kuwa mke na mume huku akienda mbali zaidi na kudai kuwa Brigitte ni ndugu wa damu wa Emmanuel Macron. Kulingana na Candace Owens, Brigitte aliwahi kuoa akiwa mwanaume na kuwa watoto hao alionao ni watoto aliozaa na mwanamke aliyekuwa mke wake.
Hii si mara ya kwanza kwa madai haya kutolewa, waandishi kadhaa wa habari kutoka Ufaransa wamewahi kushtakiwa na Brigitte kwa kutoa madai yanayofanana na hayo.
Sababu zinazopelekea kusambaa kwa nadharia hii tata ni pamoja na
1. Historia tata ya mahusiano kati ya Brigitte na Emmanuel. Kwamba Brigitte alikuwa mwalimu wa Macron enzi hizo Macron akiwa kijana wa miaka 15, Brigitte akampenda Macron na wakaanza mahusiano. Mahusiano yalivyonoga , Brigitte akatalakiana na mume wake na kisha baadae yeye akafunga ndoa na Macron. Hii stori si ya kawaida.
2. Kukosekana kwa habari za nyuma za Brigitte pamoja na picha zake. Licha ya kuwa Brigitte ni mtu maarufu na anayetoka kwenye familia bora, habari zake za nyuma na picha zake hazipatikani jambo ambalo ni nadra kwa nyakati hizi za mitandao ya kijamii. Shule na vyuo alivyosoma Brigitte havitajwi popote, picha zake za utotoni au ujajani hata alizopiga na marafiki zake hazipatikani popote. Picha za harusi na huyo mumewe wa kwanza hazipatikani na hata picha zake akiwa na watoto wake wakiwa wadogo au akiwa mjamzito hazipatikani. Katika nyakati hizi za mitandao ya kijamii, imezoeleka mtu akishakuwa maarufu basi habari zake na picha zake za zamani hupatikana kwa urahisi kwani hata marafiki zake wa utotoni au ujanani huzipost kama ishara ya ufahari au kujivunia lakini kwa Brigitte ni kinyume chake. Kinachoshangaza zaidi ni kuwa hata tovuti rasmi ya Ikulu ya Ufaransa haitaji Brigitte kasoma wapi kwenye historia yake rasmi iliyochapishwa kwenye tovuti hiyo.
Habari za Brigitte zinazopatikana kwenye vyanzo rasmi zinataja habari zake kuanzia shule aliyofundisha ambapo ndipo alipokutana na Macron na mahusiano yakaanzia hapo.
3. Muonekano wake. Pia muonekano wa Brigitte Macron huchukuliwa kuwa " wa kiume" na baadhi ya watu. Kuanzia kichwani ambapo mara zote Brigitte huvaa wigi tena kwa staili moja kila siku anapoonekana kwenye hadhara hadi miguuni ambapo huonekana kuwa na " wembamba usio wa kawaida" kulingana na mwili wa mwanamke ulivyozoeleka kuwa.
Je muvi itaishia wapi? Je Candace Owens atashinda au atashindwa na kulazimika kulipa fidia itakayotakiwa na familia ya Macron?
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CNN
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, filed a 22-count defamation lawsuit in the United States against right-wing podcaster Candace Owens Wednesday over the claim that Brigitte could be a man.
The lawsuit filed in Delaware Superior Court alleges Owens has broadcast “a relentless year-long campaign of defamation against the Macrons” according to a statement from Tom Clare, the Macrons’ lawyer.
In March, conservative commentator Candace Owens revived an absurd conspiracy theory with a YouTube video titled “Is France’s First Lady a Man?” according to the complaint. Promoted widely on X, Owens said the conspiracy theory was, “likely the biggest scandal in political history.” Since then, Owens has produced numerous videos about Brigitte Macron for her nearly 4.5 million YouTube subscribers, including a multi-part series called “Becoming Brigitte.” The lawsuit further claims she has also sold merchandise promoting the claim.
The Macrons’ attorney Tom Clare told CNN Wednesday that they had asked Owens to stop making the claim for about a year and filed the lawsuit as a “last resort” after she refused.
The complaint alleges Owens was the first person to bring these baseless claims to the US media and an international audience. The couple are suing for punitive damages and allege that they have suffered “substantial economic damages” including loss of future business opportunities.
On Instagram, Owens posted a screenshot Wednesday of an article referencing the Macrons’ lawsuit and a picture of the couple with the caption: “I will be coming for this wig today. Stay tuned.”
She later posted a video on YouTube saying the lawsuit was “an obvious and desperate public relations strategy.”
