Did French President Emmanuel Macron get smacked in the face by his wife? You might have come across a video of the couple trending all over social media. The video of his arrival in Hanoi on Sunday evening, marking the start of his Southeast Asia tour.

🇫🇷MACRON GETS FACEPALMED BY HIS WIFE

As he landed in Vietnam, cameras caught Brigitte Macron reaching out and shoving his face just before he stepped off the plane.

The French president looked momentarily stunned before smoothing it over with a wave.

His office first denied… pic.twitter.com/BmVZBX450q

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) May 26, 2025

However, the visit quickly made international headlines and not for any good reason or his diplomatic agenda. The visit made headlines due to a viral video showing an awkward exchange with his wife, Brigitte Macron.

A Slap or a Playful Push? Internet Reacts

Cameras caught an odd moment as Macron got off the presidential plane. A pair of hands, purportedly belonging to his wife Brigitte, seemed to reach out and push the president’s face aside for a brief moment.

Many people wondered whether the gesture was a slap, a playful shove, or a private moment of humor that was made public. The video was captured on camera by the Associated Press. Online speculation about the gesture ranged from worry to amusement.

Swiftly recovering from his momentary shock, Macron waved to the onlookers. Brigitte remained out of full view, partly obscured by the plane’s fuselage. She then joined her husband down the stairs. However another speculation arose as she declined the president’s offered arm, adding further fuel to the viral intrigue

Élysée Palace: “Just Horsing Around”

Initially questioning the video’s authenticity, the Élysée Palace later confirmed the footage was real but insisted it was being taken out of context. A presidential aide dismissed the incident as a “moment of complicity,” describing it as a private, light-hearted exchange between the couple before embarking on a high-pressure diplomatic tour.

“It was a moment when the president and his wife were relaxing one last time before the start of the trip by having a laugh. It was a moment of closeness,” an Elysee official said, according to a Reuters report.

Macron himself later addressed the incident to the media. He said, “We are horsing around and, really, joking with my wife,” downplaying the situation as exaggerated media frenzy. “It becomes a sort of geo-planetary catastrophe,” he added, criticizing the reaction as disproportionate.

Diplomatic Focus Returns to Center Stage

The trip to Vietnam is important from a diplomatic standpoint, despite the media circus. In the midst of growing tensions between the US and the EU over proposed tariffs, it is the first visit by a French president in almost ten years. Along with agreements in defense and space cooperation, France and Vietnam signed a significant agreement for 20 Airbus aircraft during the visit.

Macron wants to establish France as a strategic partner in the region amidst escalating US-China competition as he continues his tour through Indonesia and Singapore. Still, for many, the most memorable moment may remain the so-called “smack heard around the world”, a fleeting gesture now forever etched into the digital consciousness.