A newly published book has claimed that French First Lady Brigitte Macron slapped President Emmanuel Macron during a foreign trip last year after allegedly discovering messages exchanged between him and Iranian-born actress Golshifteh Farahani on his phone.
The allegations appear in An (Almost) Perfect Couple, a book written by journalist Florian Tardif, which revisits a viral moment from May last year when footage appeared to show Brigitte Macron shoving the French president aboard a plane during their visit to Vietnam.
At the time, the Elysee Palace dismissed the incident as a simple “moment of closeness” between the couple, while Macron himself played down the speculation surrounding the footage. Both the French president and his wife have now denied the claims made in the book.
Viral Plane Video Returns To Spotlight
The controversy first erupted after a video circulated online showing the Macrons arriving in Hanoi during an official foreign visit.
In the footage, Brigitte Macron appeared to push or shove the president moments before the couple exited the aircraft. The clip quickly fuelled widespread speculation on social media and international commentary about tensions between the pair.
The incident gained even more attention after US President Donald Trump mocked the moment publicly, joking: “Make sure the door remains closed.” Trump later claimed Brigitte Macron “treats him extremely badly”.
While the Elysee Palace attempted to minimise the episode at the time, the newly released book has reignited debate over what may have happened behind the scenes.
Remember the infamous slap? Turns out Emmanuel Macron allegedly maintained a "relationship" for several months with Iranian actress Golshifte Farahani, involving
— Freedom4Iran (@freedom4iran_au) May 13, 2026
"sexual messages" found on his phone, sparking a feud which led to the slap. This could very well explain his stance… pic.twitter.com/tzDCC0eA1v
Book Alleges Messages With Actress Triggered Tensions
According to excerpts published in French media, the book claims Brigitte Macron became upset after allegedly seeing exchanges between Macron and actress Golshifteh Farahani.
Farahani, an Iranian-born actor and outspoken critic of Tehran’s regime, allegedly maintained what the author described as a “platonic relationship” with Macron for several months.
The book also claims Macron allegedly told the actress: “I find you very pretty.”
Speaking to a French media outlet, author Florian Tardif said the Elysee now regrets how the situation was handled publicly because it could have shown the couple as “a real couple, not a perfect couple”.
Author Says Claims Were Cross-Checked
Tardif defended the contents of his book, insisting that the claims were based on verified information and extensive cross-checking.
“It is a version that I cross-checked because everything included in the book is based on facts, facts and only facts,” he said.
The author further alleged that Macron and Farahani maintained what sources described to him as a platonic relationship, although he said that was “no longer the case now”.
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