French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron are garnering intense public attention after a new book claimed a private disagreement between the couple may have triggered the now-viral plane incident in Vietnam.
The moment, which spread rapidly online last year, showed Brigitte appearing to push Emmanuel Macron in the face as they prepared to leave a presidential aircraft. At the time, the French president dismissed the incident as harmless joking between husband and wife.
But a new account from a French journalist is offering a far more personal explanation behind the tense exchange.
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What allegedly happened on the presidential plane?
According to French journalist Florian Tardif, who discussed the claims during an appearance on RTL radio, tension reportedly erupted aboard the presidential plane before the couple landed in Vietnam in May last year.
Tardif, who works for Paris Match and has reportedly followed the Macrons since 2017, said the disagreement began after Brigitte allegedly saw messages from an Iranian actress, Golshifteh Farahani, on the president’s phone, as quoted in a report by The Daily Mail.
Emmanuel Macron texted an Iranian actress
"What happened is that she [Brigitte Macron], saw a message from a well-known figure. An Iranian actress," he claimed.
The journalist claimed Emmanuel Macron had maintained a “platonic” relationship with the actress for several months. According to Tardif, one particular message became a source of tension between the couple.
“I find you very pretty.”
Tardif insisted during the interview that he had “verified” the claims and said the information in his book was based on “facts.” He described the argument as a classic “couple’s scene” that unexpectedly became public because those onboard believed the disagreement had already ended before the aircraft doors opened.
"This private scene became public because there was a misunderstanding on the plane. We thought the argument was over. It wasn't," he apparently claimed.
The book, titled “(A (Nearly) Perfect Couple),” reportedly explores what Tardif describes as the “forbidden zones” of the Macrons’ relationship, as quoted in a report by The Daily Mail.
"That's what I've been told by those close to him, and that's what I'm saying this morning," Tardif stated.
Why are the claims causing controversy in France?
The renewed attention surrounding the viral plane moment has reignited public fascination with France’s first couple, whose relationship has long attracted discussion both inside and outside the country.
At the time of the incident, officials from the Elysee Palace dismissed speculation surrounding the footage. One official described the moment as “a moment when the president and his wife were relaxing one last time before the start of the trip by having a laugh.”
Tardif, however, claimed the French presidency later regretted downplaying the disagreement. According to him, officials could have used the moment to show the couple as “a real couple, not a perfect couple.”
The controversy grew even larger earlier this year when Donald Trump referenced the incident during remarks at the White House Easter lunch. “Then I call up France, Macron - whose wife treats him extremely badly - he's still recovering from the right to the jaw,” Trump joked during the event.
Macron later responded by saying the remarks were “neither elegant nor up to standard.” The comments sparked backlash across France, including from political opponents. Manuel Bompard publicly criticized Trump’s remarks and called them “absolutely unacceptable.”
How did the Elysee respond to the accusations?
Brigitte Macron’s representatives strongly denied the new allegations after excerpts from the book began circulating in French media, including Le Parisien.
Her entourage insisted she would never check her husband’s phone and said she had already directly denied the story to the author earlier this year.
“Brigitte Macron categorically denied this account directly to the author on March 5, specifying that she never looks at her husband's mobile phone,” representatives said, as per a report by the Daily Mail.
The controversy has also revived discussion around the couple’s long-discussed relationship timeline and their 25-year age difference. Brigitte first met Emmanuel Macron when he was a teenager attending her drama class at a Catholic school in Amiens.
Despite repeated public scrutiny over the years, the French president and first lady have consistently presented a united front during official appearances.
FAQs
Who made the new claims about Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron?
French journalist Florian Tardif made the claims in his new book and during an RTL radio interview.
Did Brigitte Macron’s team respond to the allegations?
Yes. Her representatives denied the story and said she does not look through Emmanuel Macron’s phone.
