Emmanuel Macron breaks silence on viral

French President Emmanuel Macron addressed a viral video that appeared to show his wife Brigitte ‘slapping’ him as they prepared to step off a plane in Vietnam. The couple was arriving in Hanoi for a diplomatic tour of Southeast Asia, which also includes stops in Indonesia and Singapore. In the clip, Brigitte’s hand briefly came into view as the couple disembarked, causing social media users to speculate about the exchange and post humorous comments online. Some viewers joked that Macron appeared stunned for a moment before regaining his composure, and the video quickly gained traction.

However, Macron later explained that the incident was not as serious as it seemed. Speaking to reporters, he said that they were simply “horsing around and, really, joking with my wife.” His office also released a statement clarifying that the couple was decompressing and sharing a moment of complicity, dismissing the rumors stirred up by the clip. Macron dismissed the hype surrounding the video, saying it had been blown out of proportion, and emphasized that it was merely a lighthearted moment between him and his wife of nearly two decades.