Macron laughs-off aircraft 'altercation' with wife, but one person's expression speaks volumes

Hanoi, Vietnam: French President Emmanuel Macron dismissed claims of an altercation with his wife, Brigitte, after a video promoted by Russian state media and far-right accounts appeared to show her pushing him before a state visit to Vietnam.

But no matter what Macron says, the truth may actually be found in the reaction of a person who is in no way connected to the Macrons. When you watch the video notice the Vietnamese official on the right of the video. Her reaction when she sees the incident seems to imply that it was not just simple horse-play but something far more serious. 

Not only does she quickly turn around and start walking down the steps, but she swiftly indicates to her colleague to follow her. 

The clip, filmed by an AP cameraman, shows Macron stepping back as his wife’s hand touches his face as they exited a plane. Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova mocked it as a "right hook," fueling conspiracy theories. Kremlin-linked outlets amplified the footage, with Zakharova joking it might be the "hand of the Kremlin."

Macron called the moment lighthearted banter, with Élysée officials describing it as typical pre-event teasing. "We joke around often," he said.

The incident overshadowed Macron’s Vietnam trip, where France signed €9 billion ($10.2 billion) in deals on Airbus, defense, and energy—part of efforts to counter U.S. trade tensions. 

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Macron and Brigitte first met in 1993 at La Providence, a Catholic high school in Amiens, where Macron was a 15-year-old student and Brigitte, then 39, was his literature and drama teacher. Brigitte’s eldest daughter was in the same class as Macron.

Their bond began when Macron played the lead in a school play directed by Brigitte. He later asked her to help rewrite another play, and their collaboration deepened their connection.

The relationship began quietly but was discovered by Brigitte’s family in the summer of 1994, leading to local outrage and social ostracism for Brigitte. Brigitte was still married at the time and initially tried to distance herself, sending Macron to Paris to finish his studies, hoping he might move on. Macron, however, was determined, telling Brigitte, “Whatever you do, I will marry you!”.

Despite the age gap of 24 years and significant public scrutiny, the two maintained their relationship through years of long-distance separation.

Brigitte divorced her husband in 2006. In 2007, she and Emmanuel Macron married in Le Touquet, the same town where she had wed her first husband.

Brigitte left her teaching career in 2014 to support Macron’s political ambitions.