My Wife Didn’t Slap Me – French President
French President Emmanuel Macron has dismissed the online reactions surrounding a viral video showing his wife, Brigitte Macron, appearing to shove his face as they exited a plane in Vietnam.
The moment, caught on camera at the start of their Southeast Asia tour, quickly circulated on social media and sparked speculation and conspiracy theories.
Speaking to reporters in Hanoi on Monday, Macron acknowledged the authenticity of the footage but pushed back against how it has been interpreted.
“There’s a video showing me joking and teasing my wife, and somehow that becomes a sort of geo-planetary catastrophe,” Macron said.
“People are attributing all kinds of nonsense to it,” he added.
The short video clip posted by ABC News shows the aircraft door opening with Macron stepping out, followed by both of Brigitte’s hands reaching from the side and pressing against his face.
Macron appears briefly surprised but quickly recovers and waves to reporters. As the couple walks down the stairs, he offers his arm, which Brigitte declines, choosing instead to hold the handrail.
Initially, the French officials denied any unusual interaction on the aircraft. However, sources later downplayed the incident.
“It was a moment of playfulness between the president and his wife, just before the start of a demanding trip,” a source close to Macron told French broadcaster BFM TV.
“No more was needed to feed the mills of the conspiracy theorists,” the source added
French officials have blamed pro-Russian actors for amplifying the incident, suggesting it is part of a broader campaign to undermine Western unity, particularly around support for Ukraine.
Macron has been a key figure in coordinating Europe’s response to Russia’s 2022 invasion.
The video controversy follows another recent wave of alleged disinformation targeting the French president.
Earlier this month, claims circulated online, alleged to be fueled by Russian-linked accounts, that Macron had been using cocaine aboard a train to Ukraine with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The claim was based on a video of Macron picking up a crumpled tissue.
In French language, officials dismissed the claim: “This is a tissue. For blowing your nose…”
They condemned the rumour as part of a sustained disinformation campaign aimed at discrediting European leaders and sowing doubt over unity on Ukraine.
“These attacks show just how far some are willing to go to twist reality,” a senior French official said, adding that “We’re dealing with orchestrated attempts to manipulate public opinion and fracture alliances.”
My Wife Didn’t Slap Me – French President is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
