French President Emmanuel Macron has dismissed suggestions of a domestic spat with his wife, Brigitte Macron, after a viral video circulated online showing her apparently pushing his face away during their arrival in Vietnam. The video, shared widely on social media, sparked rumors of a marital clash — rumors Macron quickly labelled as products of disinformation.
The footage was captured as the presidential plane landed in Hanoi on Sunday, with Brigitte appearing to shove her husband’s face as they exited the aircraft. While Macron looked briefly startled, he recovered swiftly and greeted waiting officials. Crucially, with much of Brigitte’s body obscured by the plane door, her facial expression and full movements remain out of view.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Macron clarified: “My wife and I were just joking around, and I was caught off guard. Now, it’s being spun into this global controversy with wild theories.” He linked the viral video to broader disinformation efforts, noting that France has faced several similar attacks recently — including a false claim that he used cocaine on a trip to Kyiv with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and another that showed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan overpowering him in a handshake.
Macron said the object he moved off a train table in Kyiv — rumored to be cocaine — was simply a tissue. He also dismissed claims about the handshake with Erdogan and insisted the face shove from Brigitte was nothing more than playful banter.
“In the last three weeks, people have been watching these videos and thinking I’m on drugs, fighting with Erdogan, and now in a domestic argument with my wife,” he said. “None of it is true. Everyone needs to calm down.”
Following the video’s release, the French president’s office initially questioned its authenticity, but later confirmed it was genuine. A close associate described the incident as a harmless “couple’s squabble,” noting that Brigitte did not take Macron’s arm as they descended the staircase to meet Vietnamese officials.
The video’s rapid spread online was fueled by accounts typically critical of the French leader, highlighting how quickly rumors can overshadow the intended goals of diplomatic trips. Macron’s visit to Vietnam was meant to underscore France’s Indo-Pacific ambitions and position the country as a reliable partner in Southeast Asia, in contrast to U.S. and Chinese influence.
Macron also used the incident to highlight how such misinterpretations fuel broader misinformation. “In these three videos, I took a tissue, shook a hand, and shared a joke with my wife,” he said. “Nothing more.”
The president’s marriage to Brigitte, 25 years his senior, has long intrigued the public. Their relationship, beginning when Macron was a teenager and Brigitte was his drama teacher, has faced endless speculation — often fanned by social media rumors. Brigitte herself has previously taken legal action to challenge false claims about her gender.
For now, Macron seems intent on brushing off the latest wave of viral gossip, determined to keep the focus on France’s diplomatic goals in Southeast Asia rather than his personal life.
