Fresh claims surrounding the viral incident involving French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron have resurfaced after a new book alleged the couple’s public altercation may have been triggered by messages sent to actress Golshifteh Farahani.
The incident, which went viral last year, showed Brigitte appearing to push or slap Macron in the face moments after their plane landed in Hanoi, Vietnam, during an official Southeast Asia tour.
At the time, the Élysée Palace downplayed the moment, describing it as harmless joking between the couple, while Macron later dismissed the online reaction as an exaggerated “geo-planetary catastrophe”.
However, new allegations published in the book A (Nearly) Perfect Couple by Paris Match political editor Florian Tardif claim tensions may have stemmed from alleged text exchanges between Macron and Farahani.
According to Tardif, sources claimed the French president had maintained what was described as a “platonic love affair” with the actress over several months.
The journalist alleged that messages shown to him included compliments such as “you are very beautiful”, which supposedly led to arguments between the presidential couple.
Tardif said he spoke to more than 70 sources, including Brigitte Macron herself, while researching the book.
Farahani, who starred in films including Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge and Body of Lies, has repeatedly denied any romantic involvement with Macron in the past.
She previously described such rumours as baseless gossip fuelled by public fascination with scandals.
Representatives for Brigitte Macron have also strongly rejected the latest allegations, reportedly stating that she had “categorically denied” the claims and does not check her husband’s mobile phone.
The original footage captured Macron speaking to his wife aboard the aircraft before Brigitte’s hands suddenly appeared, seemingly pushing his face moments before the couple exited the plane.
The clip rapidly spread online and drew reactions from political figures and social media users worldwide, including comments from US President Donald Trump.
Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron, who married in 2007, have frequently been targeted by online conspiracy theories and misinformation campaigns in recent years.
