May 26, 2025 : French President Emmanuel Macron has spoken out against a viral video involving his wife Brigitte Macron, captured during their recent arrival in Vietnam. The brief clip — which shows Brigitte appearing to push Macron’s face at the doorway of their aircraft — sparked a flurry of memes, conspiracy theories, and online jabs. Macron, however, insists the incident was being blown out of proportion.
In a media interaction in Hanoi on Monday, Macron confirmed the authenticity of the video but criticized its misinterpretation.
“There’s a video showing me joking and teasing my wife, and somehow that becomes a geo-planetary catastrophe,” Macron remarked sarcastically. “People are attributing all kinds of nonsense to it.”
He acknowledged that while digital manipulation is common, in this case, the footage was real — though grossly overanalyzed and misused.
The Viral Clip: What Happened?
The video shows Macron standing at the aircraft’s doorway just after landing in Vietnam, the first stop on his Southeast Asia tour. Suddenly, Brigitte’s hands appear and lightly push Macron’s face in what appears to be a brief, private gesture. Macron looks momentarily surprised but quickly composes himself, smiling and waving to the press.
As the couple descends the stairs, Macron offers his arm to Brigitte — who declines and holds the handrail instead, further fueling online speculation.
Online Reactions & Mockery
The moment quickly went viral, with users on X (formerly Twitter) cracking jokes and conspiracy-laced comments.
One user joked, “Macron immediately surrenders as wife Brigitte pushes him away.”
Another asked provocatively, “Is Brigitte Macron a man?”, referring to long-standing conspiracy theories the couple has faced.
A viral tweet added, “She swatted his face like he was a fly. Macron just shook it off like it was nothing — classic.”
Elysée Palace Response
Initially, the Elysée Palace denied the plane incident, but later clarified that it had been “a moment of togetherness.”
A source close to the President told BFM TV that the couple had simply been arguing playfully, adding that such moments are common in long-term relationships.
Despite the public scrutiny, Macron appeared unfazed, dismissing the exaggerated narratives as an example of social media sensationalism.
“This obsession with turning every gesture into theater — it says more about us as a society than it does about the video,” he concluded.