A camera crew from the Associated Press (AP) captured an unexpected moment involving French First Lady Brigitte Macron and her husband, President Emmanuel Macron, as they arrived in Vietnam on Sunday evening.
The incident occurred as the presidential couple was disembarking their plane at Hanoi Airport. As the aircraft door was being opened, President Macron, still inside and facing away from the exit, appeared unaware that cameras were rolling. Suddenly, a woman’s hand — later identified as Brigitte Macron’s — entered the frame and struck the French president on the head, seemingly pushing it forward.
Footage shows Macron’s visibly shocked expression. Upon realizing the plane door was open and that the scene had been recorded, the president quickly composed himself, smiled for the cameras, waved, and stepped back into the aircraft.
French President Emmanuel Macron was slapped by his wife during a family dispute that was caught on camera.
The incident occurred shortly after the French presidential plane landed in Vietnam.
What exactly enraged his wife remains unclear. pic.twitter.com/O8bnm4wVMC
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) May 26, 2025
Moments later, the couple exited the plane together. Macron extended his arm to assist his wife down the stairs, but she appeared to reject the gesture.
The clip quickly went viral on social media. Initially, the Élysée Palace dismissed the footage as fake, but French media sources later confirmed its authenticity. The AP broadcast clearly showed the brief but striking exchange during its live coverage.
An anonymous source close to the president told BFMTV that the couple had been “bickering” at the time. “It was a relaxed and playful moment as the president and his wife finalized preparations for the trip,” the source said.
The same source added that it was “a moment of intimacy” and “not enough to provide fuel for conspiracy theorists,” referencing narratives often promoted by Russian media.
