What is the age of consent in France? Candace Owens claims Emmanuel Macron’s administration worked towards lowering age of consent in the country

Candace Owens recently claimed that the French president Emmanuel Macron’s administration worked towards lowering the age of consent in the country. On the August 4, 2025, episode of her podcast, Owens alleged that during his first term in office, Macron’s government attempted to reduce the age from 15 to 13.

"Now is probably a good time to tell you guys that during his presidency, during the first term, Emmanuel Macron’s administration worked to have the age of consent lowered from 15 years of age to 13 years of age," Owens remarked.

In this episode, Owens discussed the personal history between President Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron. She highlighted the beginnings of their relationship, adding that Brigitte was Emmanuel Macron’s high school teacher at the time they first met.

This context added an unsettling layer to the broader discussion about consent laws.

Owens then explained that the age of consent in France was legally set at 15. However, if there existed a position of authority, such as a teacher over a student, the legal age of consent was effectively raised to 18.

"So again (in) a teacher-student relationship traditionally…the age of consent is 18, which makes Brigitte's relationship with Emmanuel Macron problematic," Candace Owens added.

The podcaster then elaborated on what she believed to be a deliberate attempt by Macron’s government to mislead the public while modifying the age of consent law.

She claimed the administration framed the proposal as an effort to protect minors, subtly adjusting the language that implied they were increasing protections, not reducing them.

"They told the public that it was necessary to raise the age of consent with an adult to 13 years to protect children. So they packaged this as ‘we're protecting kids, so we're going to raise the age of consent to 13’," Candace Owens said.

According to Owens, the administration appeared to bank on public confusion, assuming that people would believe the age of consent had always been lower, and therefore perceive the change as progressive.

However, she claimed, the public reaction was swift and critical. Citizens were “understandably outraged” by what she described as a “naked attempt” by Macron’s government to lower the legal age of consent to 13. She further added that "ultimately, that measure failed."

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Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte file defamation lawsuit in the U.S against Candace Owens

Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte (Image via Getty Images)

Podcaster Candace Owens previously found herself entangled in legal controversy with French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte.

It happened after the couple filed a 22-count defamation lawsuit in Delaware Superior Court on July 23, 2025, against Owens. The suit accused Owens of orchestrating a “relentless year-long campaign of defamation” through her public platforms.

At the heart of the lawsuit were repeated claims Candace Owens made, alleging that Brigitte Macron could be a man. These allegations, long dismissed as a hoax, were revived by Owens in March 2024. On March 12, 2024, she posted on X:

"I would stake my entire professional reputation on the fact that Brigitte Macron is in fact a man. Any journalist or publication that is trying to dismiss this plausibility is immediately identifiable as establishment. I have never seen anything like this in my life. The implications here are terrifying."

Despite the backlash, Owens stood firmly by her statements. In February 2025, she further escalated the claims with the launch of an eight-part podcast titled "Becoming Brigitte: An Investigative Series".

In the debut episode, released on February 21, 2025, she asserted that Brigitte Macron had been born as a man named “Jean-Michel Trogneux.”

Referring to Owen’s claims about Emmanuel Macron’s wife, the lawsuit stated that the podcaster promoted unfounded allegations through her videos and also sold merchandise to amplify the conspiracy.

"Owens has used this false statement to promote her independent platform, gain notoriety, and make money," the official complaint said.

The lawsuit noted that Owens was the first figure to bring the discredited claims about Emmanuel Macron’s wife to a broader U.S. and international audience.

It argued that Candace Owens' same campaign resulted in “substantial economic damages,” including the loss of potential business and professional opportunities for the Macrons.

"Every time the Macrons leave their home, they do so knowing that countless people have heard, and many believe, these vile fabrications. It is invasive, dehumanizing, and deeply unjust," the complaint added.

According to the lawsuit, the Macrons had sent Owens retraction demands along with what they described as “incontrovertible evidence” disproving her assertions.

This evidence reportedly confirmed that Brigitte Macron was born female as Brigitte Trogneux, was not related to President Macron by blood, and was not involved in any form of control or coercion by foreign intelligence forces.

Tom Clare, the Macrons’ attorney, told CNN that Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron had made multiple private requests over the past year asking Owens to retract her claims. However, those efforts were ignored. Clare explained that the lawsuit was filed as a "last resort" by the Macrons.

Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron were seeking punitive damages from Owens and her related businesses based on defamation and defamation by implication.

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At present, Candace Owens remains active on her self-titled YouTube podcast. Over the past month, she has also addressed the lawsuit multiple times in her videos. She has also made it clear that she has no intention of backing down from her claims.

According to CNN, Emmanuel Macron had briefly addressed the rumors about his wife during an event in Paris in March 2024. However, since the filing of the lawsuit, he hasn't made any public statements regarding Candace Owens or the ongoing legal proceedings.

Edited by Prem Deshpande