Macron downplays a widely shared video of his wife pushing him on a plane

French President Emmanuel Macron has publicly dismissed speculation surrounding a viral video that appeared to show a tense moment between him and his wife, Brigitte Macron, as they arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam — the first stop on his Southeast Asia tour.

The video, widely circulated on social media, captures the French First Lady, Brigitte (72), seemingly smacking Macron (47) in the face shortly after disembarking from their aircraft. While her face isn’t visible in the clip, her hands are seen pushing his head aside, causing Macron to look briefly startled before quickly regaining his composure and waving to the press.

In response to the online uproar, Macron downplayed the incident, calling it a lighthearted moment that had been blown out of proportion.

“My wife and I were squabbling, we were rather joking, and I was taken by surprise,” Macron explained.

He added sarcastically,

“Now it’s become a kind of planetary catastrophe, and some are even coming up with theories.”

Macron criticized the online distortion of casual or private moments, calling the incident an example of the disinformation and conspiracy culture that seeks to misrepresent his public image.

He went so far as to suggest that such twisting of videos had become frequent, saying:

“In these three videos, I took a tissue, shook someone’s hand, and just joked with my wife... Nothing more.”

He accused “traceable networks”, specifically pointing to Russian disinformation agents and domestic extremists in France, of manipulating the narrative for political mischief.

The Elysee Palace backed his comments, calling the footage a benign, playful exchange between the couple and stating that they were simply “goofing about” after a long flight, right before the start of a major diplomatic trip.

Macron’s visit to Vietnam — the first by a French president in nearly a decade — is part of a broader Southeast Asia tour, where he aims to position France as a credible alternative to the United States and China in the region. After Vietnam, Macron will also visit Indonesia and Singapore, emphasizing France’s strategic interests and historical ties, especially in Vietnam, a former French colony.

In sum, the video may have sparked viral speculation, but both Macron and official sources have made it clear: this was not a domestic dispute — just an offbeat moment between a long-married couple caught on camera.