A new book by Paris Match political journalist Florian Tardif has revived discussion around the much-publicised moment in May 2025 when Brigitte Macron was filmed placing her hands on Emmanuel Macron’s face as the couple arrived in Vietnam.
The incident took place on 25 May 2025, as the French president and his wife landed at Hanoi airport at the start of an Asian tour. The images, captured as the door of the presidential aircraft opened, quickly circulated online and prompted intense speculation. Macron later said he and his wife had been “joking” as they often do, while officials around him described the moment as a private exchange that had been overinterpreted.
Fransa Cumhurbaşkanı Emmanuel Macron ile eşi Brigitte Macron’a ait olduğu bildirilen görüntüler sosyal medyada gündem oldu
— Anadolu Ajansı (@anadoluajansi) May 26, 2025
▪️ Vietnam’da uçaktan iniş esnasında kapısının açılmasıyla kırmızı ceketli birinin eli, Emmanuel Macron’u yüzünden ittiriyor
▪️ Görüntülerin devamında… pic.twitter.com/CXkfJehArt
In his book Un Couple (Presque) Parfait, published by Albin Michel, Tardif offers a different version. Speaking to RTL, he said the episode stemmed from what he described as a “couple’s scene” after Brigitte Macron allegedly saw a message on the president’s phone from Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani.
Tardif claimed that Macron had maintained what he described as a “platonic” relationship with the actress for several months. He said people close to the couple had repeatedly given him that account, adding that some of the messages relayed to him were affectionate in tone, including remarks such as “I find you very pretty”.
The claim has not been confirmed by the Élysée. Le Parisien reported on Wednesday that Brigitte Macron’s entourage denied Tardif’s version of events.
Élysée Response Under Scrutiny
Tardif also said French presidential officials now regret the way they handled the public fallout from the video. According to him, the Élysée could have used the episode to present the presidential couple as “normal” rather than perfect.
At the time, Macron’s entourage first questioned the authenticity of the images before later describing the incident as a moment of teasing between the couple. Another official line suggested it was a final moment of relaxation before the start of the trip.
VIDEO — Footage showing French President Emmanuel Macron getting slapped by his wife Brigitte as he prepared to step off a plane in Vietnam goes viral, sparking mixed media reactions, flood of internet memes pic.twitter.com/18C6XsN3dm
— Daily Sabah (@DailySabah) May 26, 2025
Tardif said he included the actress’s name in the book because rumours had already circulated in Paris, but insisted he had tried to verify the account before publication and had made clear to the Élysée that it was not their version of events.
Source: protothema
