French President Emmanuel Macron just got an unexpected smack from his wife, Brigitte Macron, and it’s got the world talking.
While disembarking from their plane in Vietnam on Sunday, May 25, a moment caught by an AP photographer shows Emmanuel taking a hard smack to the face from Brigitte. The brief encounter had the French president slightly rattled, but he quickly regained his composure and waved to the crowd as he and his wife stepped off the plane to be greeted by Vietnamese officials.
The incident quickly became a topic of controversy when Macron’s team initially denied any altercation. However, the story changed when aides later confirmed the incident, with one spokesperson downplaying it as a “harmless squabble.”
According to a French official, it was simply a moment of relaxation for the couple, “a time to laugh and unwind before the start of the trip,” calling it a “moment of closeness.” Another official added that they were simply “joking around” before the official duties began.
Regardless of the nature of the incident, the moment went viral on social media, with many users bringing up the couple’s large age difference – Emmanuel is 47, and Brigette is 72.
“Side effects of marrying someone much older,” one quipped on X.
Another said, “dont forget she is 25 years older than Macron ! mother behaviour will always be there.”
“You can see him turn his shoulder and brace himself. Not his first slap,” said a third.
The couple’s relationship has always been one of intrigue, starting back in 1993 when Emmanuel, who was a student at Lycée la Providence school, first met Brigitte, originally his teacher. Their connection sparked controversy in the French press due to their age gap, with Emmanuel’s parents even putting him in a different school to distance them. Brigitte resigned from her teaching role once Emmanuel was appointed as France’s economy minister and played a prominent role in his presidential campaign.