Viral Video Shows Emmanuel Macron's Wife Shoving Him During France's Arrival in Vietnam
Viral clip shows French President Macron playfully shoved by wife Brigitte, who claims it's just playful banter
French First Lady Brigitte Macron was caught on camera pushing her husband, French President Emmanuel Macron, in the face as they waited to disembark from their plane in Hanoi, Vietnam. The incident, which occurred while the couple stood at the aircraft's doorway, quickly drew attention after a video surfaced online.
Footage from the scene shows a uniformed crew member opening the plane door as President Macron, dressed formally in a suit, appears at the entrance. Brigitte Macron, wearing a distinctive red blazer, is seen extending her arms towards her husband. One hand covered part of his mouth and nose, while the other pressed against his jaw, gently shoving him aside. President Macron briefly turned away before noticing news cameras filming the exchange. He then paused to smile and wave at reporters before stepping out of the doorway.
Moments later, the Macrons descended the stairs together. President Macron offered his arm to the First Lady, but she declined, maintaining her independence as they walked side-by-side. The interaction, though fleeting, sparked widespread debate and speculation about the nature of the gesture.
As the video circulated on social media and was picked up by major news outlets, questions arose about whether the incident was an act of frustration or simply playful banter between the couple. French daily Le Parisien even ran a headline asking, "Slap or ‘squabble’? The images of Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron disembarking in Vietnam trigger a lot of comment."
Addressing the viral footage, President Macron clarified to reporters that the couple had been joking around. “We are squabbling and, rather, joking with my wife,” he said, suggesting that the situation was being exaggerated into "a sort of geo-planetary catastrophe." He pointed to the event as an example of how information can be misinterpreted and amplified in the social media era.
A spokesperson for the president’s office echoed this sentiment, describing the scene as a light-hearted moment where the couple were "decompressing one last time before the start of the trip by horsing around." The office warned that such clips could easily be misconstrued and used as fodder for conspiracy theories.
Further emphasizing the context, Macron's office reportedly told CNN the episode showed “a moment of togetherness,” stating that the president and First Lady were relaxing after a lengthy journey and teasing each other playfully.
President Macron is currently on a tour of Southeast Asia, with Hanoi as one of his stops. The trip comes amid significant international attention, not just for diplomatic matters, but also for moments showcasing the personal dynamics between France’s first couple.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
