The French president had just touched down in Hanoi, Vietnam, for a state visit when he was filmed seemingly being struck in the face.
French President Emmanuel Macron has dismissed a video that appeared to show his wife, Brigitte Macron, slapping him in the face moments before they disembarked from a plane in Vietnam on May 26.
The French first couple had just touched down at Hanoi Airport and were filmed through the open aircraft door by the waiting press.
The French president could be seen facing the front of the jet when a pair of arms in red sleeves suddenly reached forward and pushed him in the face, causing him to turn his head.
Afterward, he appeared to realize he was visible through the open door and broke into a smile as he waved to those outside.
Moments later, the Macrons disembarked. The first lady was wearing a red jacket, with sleeves matching those seen during the incident.
The president appeared to offer his arm to his wife, but she didn’t take it. They then proceeded down the stairs side by side.
The clip quickly went viral and prompted widespread speculation across both social and traditional media.
Macron later acknowledged the video was real, rather than an AI creation, telling reporters: “We were in the middle of bickering and more like joking with my wife and … it’s become a kind of geopolitical catastrophe where some people are even coming up with theories to explain it all.”
An Elysée Palace official earlier gave a similar description of the incident, saying: “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.”
Brigitte Macron was a 39-year-old, married mother of three when she met the teenage future president while teaching at the high school he attended. The couple have been married since 2007.
Macron’s visit to Vietnam, a former French colony, is the first by a French president in almost a decade, and it marks the start of his Southeast Asian tour, which will also take him to Indonesia and Singapore.
He said France signed contracts worth 9 billion euros ($10.25 billion) while in Vietnam during his visit.
In statements to the media, Macron also reiterated France’s support for freedom of navigation, an issue important to Vietnam as it often clashes with Beijing over contested boundaries in the South China Sea.
Macron will visit a university in Hanoi on May 28 before flying to Jakarta in Indonesia.
France ruled Vietnam for about 70 years until it was forced out in 1954, following a major defeat at Dien Bien Phu in northern Vietnam.