Macron Allegedly Slapped by Wife During Trip Over "Actress's Message"

French Journalist Claims “Not Playful, but a Marital Quarrel”
Macron’s Side Explains “An Intimate Moment”

Last year, French President Emmanuel Macron was caught on camera appearing to be struck in the face by his wife, Brigitte Macron, during an overseas trip. A new claim has emerged that the incident was the result of a marital spat triggered by messages involving an Iranian-born actress. At the time, President Macron's office explained that the scene was simply playful teasing between the couple.

French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron. Photo by AP Yonhap News

According to French broadcaster RTL on the 13th (local time), Florian Tardif, a political journalist for the weekly magazine Paris Match, appeared on RTL radio and commented on the scene captured during Macron’s visit to Vietnam in May last year, stating that it “stemmed from a quarrel between the couple.”

The scene in question was captured on May 25 last year when President Macron arrived in Vietnam, his first stop during a tour of Asia. As the door of the presidential plane opened, cameras caught Brigitte Macron’s hand moving toward President Macron’s face, and the footage quickly spread on social networking services (SNS).

Journalist Tardif claimed that the incident was sparked by messages related to Iranian-born actress Golshifteh Farahani. He stated, “Brigitte Macron saw a message from Golshifteh Farahani,” implying that President Macron had maintained a “platonic relationship” with the actress for several months.

He further alleged that among the messages relayed by close aides, one included a line such as “You are very beautiful.” Tardif explained that there was an argument on the plane at the time; although those around them believed the dispute had subsided, in reality, it had not. He added, “A private moment was made public.” On this day, Tardif published a book about the Macrons’ relationship titled “(Almost) the Perfect Couple.”

However, Brigitte Macron’s side denied the allegations. An aide to the First Lady told RTL, “Brigitte Macron personally denied the claims to the author and stated that she does not look through her husband’s phone.”

President Macron and his aides also described the scene at the time as playful teasing between the couple. Close aides to the presidential couple said, “It was an intimate moment of lighthearted play to ease tension before the start of the trip.”

President Macron also rejected the interpretation of the incident as a “marital spat.” He stated, “I was joking with my wife as usual,” and added, “Absurd stories are being made out of a single video.” While he acknowledged the authenticity of the footage itself, he dismissed the surrounding interpretations as excessive speculation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.