The French president has said the viral clip of Brigitte pushing his face was “just joking around”
French President Emmanuel Macron has downplayed a viral video showing his wife Brigitte pushing his face as they disembarked from a plane, describing the moment as the two of them just having fun.
The footage, captured on Sunday in Hanoi, Vietnam, shows the aircraft door opening to reveal Macron speaking to someone off camera. Moments later, two arms in red sleeves reach out and push his face, covering his mouth and jaw. He steps back before regaining his balance, then smiles and waves after noticing the cameras. Brigitte, wearing a red jacket, soon appears beside him. Macron offers his arm, which she declines, and they walk down the stairs together.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Macron said he was “surprised” by the wave of speculation about the incident.
“There’s a video showing me and my wife bickering and joking, and somehow that becomes a sort of geo-planetary catastrophe, with people even coming up with theories to explain it,” he said.
📱 “Un moment de complicité” entre Emmanuel et Brigitte #Macron.✋ L’Élysée a voulu désamorcer la polémique après que des images très relayées sur les réseaux sociaux ont montré le président français recevoir une main au visage de la part de son épouse pic.twitter.com/l4eCTzaS2G
— FRANCE 24 Français (@France24_fr) May 26, 2025
He also referenced two other recent viral clips. “A lot of lunatics are spending their days interpreting all these videos,” Macron said.
One widely shared video, filmed during a visit to Ukraine, shows Macron on a train with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The French president appears to briefly conceal a small object, prompting online speculation about drug use. The Elysee Palace called the rumors baseless.
Another clip from the European Political Community summit in Albania just two weeks ago showed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gripping Macron’s finger while seated, as Macron stood beside him – a gesture some media outlets interpreted as a subtle power play.
Macron acknowledged all three videos were real but dismissed the online narratives around them.
Initially, the Elysee declined to comment on the Hanoi incident, later describing it as a “moment of togetherness.” A source told BFM TV the couple had simply been bickering, nothing more.
The Macrons have been married since 2007. The pair met when he was a student at the Lycée la Providence in Amiens, where she was a teacher. Brigitte is 24 years older than her husband. The couple has faced persistent speculation over her gender – claims they have repeatedly denied and taken legal action against.
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