French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte recently made headlines over a viral video during an official visit to Hanoi, Vietnam. As the plane doors opened, Brigitte appeared to push or slap Macron’s face. While Macron brushed it off as a harmless joke, a lip reader claimed the moment revealed a deeper tension.
In the footage, Brigitte seems to shove Macron and later ignores his offer to hold his arm, allegedly muttering, “Dégage, espèce de loser” (“Stay away, you loser”). Macron is said to have responded, “Let’s try, please,” to which she reportedly replied, “Non.”
Macron insists the moment was playful, calling the media reaction overblown. The Elysee also downplayed the event, describing it as lighthearted banter before the start of their trip.