French President Emmanuel Macron has dismissed speculation surrounding a viral video that shows his wife, Brigitte Macron, appearing to push his face away as they disembarked from a plane in Vietnam over the weekend.
The incident, which quickly spread across social media platforms, occurred at the start of Macron’s tour of Southeast Asia.
The video shows the President standing at the open aircraft door when Brigitte’s hands briefly press against his face in what some interpreted as a shove.
Macron appeared momentarily surprised before recovering and waving to journalists on the tarmac. When he later offers his arm to Brigitte as they descend the steps, she instead chooses to grasp the handrail.
Social media users were quick to react, with some speculating about the nature of their relationship. One user joked, “Maybe because Arsenal didn’t win the Premier League,” while others took a more conspiratorial tone.
One comment read, “Groomed him… now abusing him,” while another asked, “Is Brigitte Macron a man?” Yet another remarked, “Did you guys SEE Macron’s wife push his face like she was swatting a fly?”
Speaking to reporters in Hanoi on Monday, Macron addressed the speculation head-on.
“There’s a video showing me joking and teasing my wife, and somehow that becomes a sort of geo-planetary catastrophe,” he said. “People are even coming up with theories to explain it.”
Macron confirmed the video’s authenticity but condemned the way it had been interpreted online. “The videos are all real, and yes, sometimes people tamper with them, but people are attributing all kinds of nonsense to them.”
Initially, the Élysée Palace denied that anything unusual had occurred. Later, officials sought to downplay the event, calling it insignificant.
A source close to the president told BFM TV that the couple was simply arguing. Another insider described it as
