French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron sparked headlines and viral speculation this week after a video showed her appearing to shove his face as the couple prepared to exit their plane in Hanoi, Vietnam.
In the clip, released by the Associated Press, a uniformed staffer opens the aircraft door as Macron stands at the threshold. Brigitte, wearing a red blazer, is seen reaching forward — one hand covering her husband’s mouth and part of his nose, the other on his jaw — in what looks like a forceful push. Macron turned away and quickly noticed the cameras, flashing a smile and waving before stepping back.
Moments later, the couple descended the plane stairs together. Macron extended his arm to Brigitte, but she did not take it.
The video ignited speculation online, with France’s Le Parisien asking in a headline, "Slap or ‘squabble’?" as the moment became a trending topic on social media.
Macron downplayed the scene, telling reporters it was nothing more than a lighthearted moment between him and his wife. “We are squabbling and, rather, joking with my wife,” he said, dismissing the frenzy as an overreaction that had been blown into “a sort of geo-planetary catastrophe.”
His office echoed that sentiment, calling the moment one of “complicity” and “togetherness.” They described it as the couple unwinding before the start of a diplomatic visit, saying the incident only served to “give ammunition to conspiracy theorists.”
The Macrons, who married in 2007, have long drawn media attention for their unconventional relationship. Brigitte was Emmanuel’s high school drama teacher when they met — she was 39, he was 15.
The president is currently on a Southeast Asia tour, with Vietnam marking a key stop. While the international focus was supposed to be on diplomacy, it’s clear the couple’s tarmac moment momentarily stole the spotlight.