A conspiracy theory which has circulated for years in fringe online spaces alleges Mrs Macron was born male under the name Jean-Michel Trogneux, which belongs to her brother.
Owens has spread the conspiracy theory to her large audiences including nearly 7m followers on X. Earlier this year she released a video series titled Becoming Brigitte.
The Macrons said in a statement released by their attorneys that they asked Owens repeatedly for a retraction, but “ultimately concluded that referring the matter to a court of law was the only remaining avenue for remedy”.
“Ms Owens’ campaign of defamation was plainly designed to harass and cause pain to us and our families and to garner attention and notoriety,” the statement said. “We gave her every opportunity to back away from these claims, but she refused.”
The suit alleges Owens “disregarded all credible evidence disproving her claim in favor of platforming known conspiracy theorists and proven defamers.”
It also accuses Owens of falsely alleging the French president and his wife are blood relatives and that Emmanuel Macron was installed in office by a secret CIA plot.
Owens worked for conservative organisations including the student group Turning Point and media outlet Daily Wire before launching her independent podcast in 2024.