Candace Owens alleges French and Israeli assassination plot
Conservative commentator Candace Owens claimed on November 22 that French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron authorized and funded an assassination plot against her, alleging involvement by Israeli operatives. No evidence has been provided to support the claims, and authorities from France, Israel, and the United States have not responded publicly.
In an “urgent” message posted on X, Owens stated she was contacted two days prior by “a high ranking employee of the French Government” who allegedly informed her that “the Macrons have executed upon and paid for my assassination.” According to her post, the source claimed the operation was assigned to a small unit within France’s National Gendarmerie Intervention Group (GIGN), with “one Israeli” operative involved.
Owens did not publish any documentation, audio recordings, or other verifiable material supporting these allegations. As of November 24, no French, Israeli, or U.S. authority has confirmed the existence of any such plot.
The claims emerged amid ongoing legal proceedings between Owens and the Macron family. In July, Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron filed a 22-count defamation lawsuit against Owens in Delaware Superior Court over her repeated assertions that Brigitte Macron was assigned male at birth. The lawsuit alleges Owens engaged in “a relentless year-long campaign of defamation against the Macrons” through her podcast series “Becoming Brigitte.”
Background on the defamation case
The defamation suit stems from Owens’ eight-part podcast and YouTube series “Becoming Brigitte,” which has garnered over 2.3 million views. In the series, Owens promoted conspiracy theories that Brigitte Macron was born as Jean-Michel Trogneux, the name of her brother, and later transitioned. The 219-page complaint asserts these claims are “provably false” and accuses Owens of spreading them “for personal gain.”
Tom Clare, attorney for the Macrons, told CNN the lawsuit was filed as a “last resort” after Owens rejected multiple requests to retract her statements over approximately one year. Clare said the couple would seek “substantial” damages if Owens continues making such claims.
Owens has characterized the lawsuit as “an obvious and desperate public relations strategy” and stated she is “not backing down.” A spokesperson for Owens described the legal action as “a foreign government attacking the First Amendment rights of an American independent journalist.”
In France, Brigitte Macron and her brother, Jean-Michel Trogneux, previously won a defamation case in September 2024 against two women who had propagated similar conspiracy theories. However, a Paris appeals court overturned that ruling in July 2025. Ten individuals are currently on trial in Paris for cyberbullying charges related to spreading these claims online.
Connection to Charlie Kirk’s death
In her November 22 post, Owens also claimed the alleged French government source told her that “Charlie Kirk’s assassin trained with the French legion 13th brigade with multi-state involvement.”
Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA and a prominent conservative activist, was fatally shot on September 10, 2025, while speaking at Utah Valley University. Tyler James Robinson, a 22-year-old from Washington, Utah, was arrested and charged with aggravated murder in connection with Kirk’s death. Prosecutors disclosed text messages in which Robinson allegedly told his partner he had “had enough of his hatred” and confessed to planning the attack for over a week.
Owens has previously promoted conspiracy theories surrounding Kirk’s assassination, suggesting Robinson did not act alone. No evidence has emerged connecting the alleged shooter to French military training, and authorities have not substantiated Owens’ claims.
Payments and Club des Cent allegations
On November 23, Owens escalated her allegations, claiming “payments for assassinations are running through the Club des Cent in France” and stating this creates “a paper trail.” She reiterated that both a French female operative and an Israeli male operative were selected for what she described as “joint state operations.”
Owens provided no financial records, documents, or other evidence to support these claims. The Club des Cent, or “Club of One Hundred,” is an exclusive French dining society founded in 1912, known for its membership of prominent business leaders and gastronomes. Owens did not clarify how the organization would be connected to alleged assassination financing.
In a subsequent post, Owens stated she had “informed people in the Federal government and the White House of the France and Israeli assassination plot” and was willing to provide “full details, as well as the name of the assassins and international accounts in France and Canada through which money was exchanged.”
Support from Pavel Durov
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov expressed support for Owens’ claims on November 23, writing on X: “After reviewing everything Charlie Kirk has ever said about Macron’s France, I find Candace’s info about French involvement in his death entirely plausible.”
Durov, who himself faces legal issues in France following his August 2024 arrest on charges related to content moderation on Telegram, suggested Kirk’s calls for 300% tariffs on France could have been a motive. Durov wrote that “Charlie even called for 300% tariffs on France until the charges against me were dropped.”
Official silence
As of November 24, the Élysée Palace, the French Interior Ministry, the National Gendarmerie, the Israeli government, and U.S. agencies have issued no public statements addressing Owens’ allegations. The French Embassy in Washington did not respond to media requests for comment.
Owens interpreted the lack of response as confirmation of her claims, stating in posts that the Elysée Palace “remained silent because her information was accurate.”
The Delaware defamation lawsuit filed by the Macrons remains active. Tom Clare, lead counsel for the Macrons, confirmed to Reuters in August that “the Macrons have not withdrawn their lawsuit against Ms. Owens and have no intention of doing so.”
Owens’ allegations have generated millions of views on social media, with responses ranging from supporters offering prayers to critics questioning the plausibility of her claims. The unverified nature of the allegations and the absence of official responses leave their accuracy unresolved.