French President Emmanuel Macron’s latest diplomatic trip to Asia took an unexpected turn online after a brief interaction with his wife, Brigitte Macron, was captured on video.
The moment, showing the first lady placing her hands on Macron’s face as they exited their plane in Hanoi, Vietnam, quickly went viral, sparking speculation and commentary across social media platforms.
The clip, recorded by the Associated Press, shows the aircraft door opening before Brigitte’s hands reach out and appear to lightly shove the president’s face.
Macron looks momentarily surprised before regaining composure and waving to Vietnamese officials. The couple descended the stairs together, although Brigitte notably did not take the president’s arm.
Though brief, the unusual gesture drew wide attention, especially among Macron’s critics and conspiracy-driven social media accounts.
Some interpreted the interaction as tense or symbolic of deeper issues. In response, the French president’s team moved swiftly to clarify the situation and discourage over-interpretation.
“It was a moment when the president and his wife were relaxing one last time before the start of the trip by having a laugh,” an Elysee Palace spokesperson said, according to the Daily Mail. “It was a moment of closeness.”
Another member of Macron’s entourage told reporters the interaction was simply a candid display between the couple as they prepared for a packed schedule of diplomatic engagements.
The president’s office initially questioned whether the video had been manipulated.
Once verified as genuine, officials pushed back against misleading narratives circulating online — particularly those amplified by hostile or pro-Russian social media accounts that have increasingly targeted Macron.
The French leader has recently warned about the growing influence of online misinformation and distorted media clips, calling the individuals behind such efforts “crackpots.”
French officials were also forced to debunk a viral falsehood claiming Macron had hidden a bag of cocaine during a photo op with UK Labour leader Keir Starmer and German politician Friedrich Merz.
That claim was swiftly proven to be baseless, but it underscored how quickly manipulated content can spread, according to the Daily Mail.
Brigitte Macron, a former teacher and longtime partner to the president, has often appeared by his side at official functions. Their relationship, which has been in the spotlight since Macron’s rise to power, frequently attracts public attention.
Though their dynamic has occasionally fueled tabloid gossip, Macron’s team has consistently emphasized their strong bond.
Marcon also addressed the incident on Monday, telling reporters that it had been exaggerated.
“I was joking around with my wife,” he said. “It’s nothing.”
However, British body language expert Judi James offered a contrasting view. In comments to the outlet, she disputed the idea that the incident was merely playful or lighthearted, as suggested by Macron’s team.
“I would not describe the gesture we saw from inside the plane as one of ‘play’ as has been claimed,” she told the Daily Mail.
“Pushing your partner in the face with your hand so hard their head reels to the side and they need to put a hand out to keep balance, especially with what looks like an extra ‘shove’ at the end of the contact, should not be normalized by calling it ‘fun’ just to save political face.”
