French President Emmanuel Macron’s diplomatic tour through Southeast Asia began with an unexpected headline after video surfaced of his wife, Brigitte Macron, appearing to slap or shove him as they stepped off the presidential aircraft in Vietnam on Sunday, as reported by The Gateway Pundit.
The footage, which quickly went viral, shows the French president being caught off guard as he disembarks with his wife.
Just moments before Macron prepares to greet cameras and dignitaries, Brigitte appears to strike him in the face with an open hand or forceful gesture, causing him to visibly recoil.
How long has Emmanuel Macron’s 72-year-old wife been beating the crap out of him behind closed doors? pic.twitter.com/banGcoYtoa
— Vince Langman (@LangmanVince) May 26, 2025
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Macron is then seen regaining composure and attempting to brush off the moment with a strained smile.
The Elysee Palace quickly responded to the circulating video, downplaying the incident as a “moment of closeness” between the couple. Officials said the Macrons were simply “relaxing” and “playfully teasing each other” prior to the formal start of their visit.
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According to Le Monde, Macron’s office initially denied the authenticity of the footage. However, after the video was verified, an anonymous source close to the president told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that the episode was merely a light “squabble” between spouses.
Another official within the presidential entourage suggested the moment had been blown out of proportion.
“It was a moment when the president and his wife were decompressing one last time before the start of the trip by joking around. It’s a moment of togetherness. No more was needed to feed the mills of the conspiracy theorists.”
The source went on to blame pro-Russian social media accounts for fueling negative commentary around the video, despite the footage being widely circulated across both French and international platforms.
Macron’s ’wife’ gets caught slapping him …
Via @GBNEWS pic.twitter.com/3lplhYN9Do
— Adam Brooks AKA EssexPR (@EssexPR) May 26, 2025
Macron’s trip to Vietnam marks the beginning of a nearly week-long diplomatic push to strengthen France’s influence in Southeast Asia amid growing competition from both the United States and China.
His itinerary includes stops in Indonesia and Singapore, where he is expected to promote France as a strategic partner in the region.
The Elysee’s swift damage control efforts underscore the growing scrutiny Macron faces on the global stage—not just for his policy positions, but now also for personal moments captured during international appearances.
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