The footage, filmed by the Associated Press on Sunday evening, shows the door of the presidential plane opening and Macron appearing at the entrance. A moment later, Brigitte Macron’s arms briefly appear, and her hands quickly move toward the president’s face in what some interpreted as a light slap.
Macron appears momentarily surprised, then turns to wave to officials before descending the stairs. As the couple walk down the aircraft’s steps, Macron offers his arm to Brigitte, who declines and instead holds onto the handrail.
The clip was widely shared overnight, especially on accounts critical of the French president. Initially, the Élysée Palace dismissed the images as misleading but they were later confirmed as authentic.
Speaking to reporters in Hanoi on Monday, Macron dismissed the speculation, saying: “We were just bickering and joking, as we often do. There was no domestic argument.”
He went on to criticise what he called a “cycle of fake controversies”:
“For the past three weeks, I’ve supposedly shared a bag of cocaine, had a brawl with the Turkish president, and now this with my wife. None of it is true. Everyone needs to calm down.”
Macron is currently on a week-long tour of Southeast Asia, with planned visits to Indonesia and Singapore following his stop in Vietnam.
