Macron dismisses claims of spat with wife after viral vietnam arrival video
French President Emmanuel Macron has rejected speculation of a “domestic dispute” with his wife, Brigitte, after a video showing a seemingly tense moment between the couple went viral during their arrival in Vietnam.
Footage captured by the Associated Press on Sunday evening in Hanoi showed the plane door opening to reveal Macron.
Brigitte’s hands then appeared from the left side of the doorway, briefly pushing her husband’s face.
Though Macron looked momentarily surprised, he quickly smiled and waved. Brigitte, mostly obscured by the plane, remained out of full view.
The couple walked down the stairs to be greeted by Vietnamese officials, though Brigitte notably declined Macron’s offered arm.
Macron addressed the video on Monday, telling reporters in Hanoi that the gesture was playful. “We were joking, as we often do,” he said. “Everyone needs to calm down.”
He also dismissed other rumors sparked by past videos, including claims that he had shared cocaine or had a confrontation with the Turkish president. “None of these are true,” he added.
Initially, Macron’s office questioned the authenticity of the video, but later confirmed it was genuine.
A close aide described the moment as a “harmless squabble,” while another insisted it was simply the couple “joking around” before the start of a busy diplomatic trip.
Critics, particularly from pro-Russian circles, were accused of amplifying the incident to stir controversy online.
Vietnam is Macron’s first stop on a week-long Southeast Asia tour aimed at positioning France as a strategic alternative to both the U.S. and China. He is also scheduled to visit Indonesia and Singapore.