Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife’s Gesture as ‘Joking Around’
Emmanuel Macron has dismissed claims that he and his wife, Brigitte, had a disagreement, following the circulation of a viral video promoted by Russian state media and far-right French accounts. The video appeared to show Brigitte pushing the French president in the face as they exited a plane in Vietnam.
The footage, captured by an Associated Press camera operator, shows Macron stepping into view at the aircraft’s doorway during a visit to Hanoi. A hand—apparently Brigitte’s—seems to push him backward slightly. Macron regains his balance and waves. As Brigitte’s full body is not visible, the context of the gesture was unclear. However, Macron later told reporters it was a playful moment between the couple.
Despite his clarification, the video was seized upon by Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, who mocked Macron on Telegram, claiming he had received “a right hook.” She sarcastically speculated whether Brigitte had tried to cheer him up with a “gentle pat” or attempted to fix his collar and misjudged.
Russia Today and affiliated social media channels repeatedly aired the clip, with Zakharova even quipping, “Maybe it was the ‘hand of the Kremlin.’”
Speaking to the press in Hanoi, Macron downplayed the incident, saying, “We were joking around, as we often do.” A spokesperson from the Élysée Palace echoed this, telling French media it was “a moment of closeness,” adding, “but it was enough to feed conspiracy theorists.”
Another Élysée source described the couple’s interaction as a light-hearted moment before the formalities began. “They were decompressing before the visit. He enjoys teasing her before official appearances, and she always plays along. It wasn’t even a slap.”
Macron also referenced other viral clips that have been taken out of context. “Apparently I’ve shared a bag of cocaine, brawled with the Turkish president, and now I’m having a domestic with my wife,” he said. “None of it’s true. Everyone needs to calm down.”
Earlier this month, both Zakharova and U.S. conspiracy theorist Alex Jones falsely accused Macron, German politician Friedrich Merz, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer of drug use on a train to Kyiv, citing a crumpled tissue as supposed evidence of cocaine possession.
Macron attributed the surge in disinformation to familiar online actors, linking Russian interests with French extremist groups. “This morning, some commentators even described my diplomacy as that of a battered husband,” he remarked with irony.
Meanwhile, Macron and his wife marked the first formal visit by a French presidential couple to Vietnam in nearly a decade. During the trip, France and Vietnam signed agreements worth €9 billion (£7.55 billion), including deals involving 20 Airbus aircraft, and cooperation in defense, nuclear energy, transportation, satellite technology, and vaccine development—strengthening ties amid global trade uncertainty.
