Macron's Wife 'Slapped' Him Over Flirty Text With Iranian Actor?

A bombshell new book has ripped open the private world of France's first couple , alleging that Brigitte Macron slapped President Emmanuel Macron after she stumbled upon a flirtatious text exchange between her husband and celebrated Iranian-born actress Golshifteh Farahani . The explosive claims, made by journalist and Paris Match political editor Florian Tardif in his newly released book An (Almost) Perfect Couple , have sent shockwaves through French political circles and beyond.

The viral incident was caught on camera as the couple prepared to disembark their plane in Hanoi, Vietnam , in May 2025 . The footage, which spread rapidly across the internet, showed what many observers interpreted as Brigitte striking her husband in the face at the aircraft door, a moment that the Élysée Palace initially scrambled to explain away.

According to Tardif, one of the messages allegedly read: "I find you very pretty," sent by Macron to Farahani. The actress, 42, reportedly maintained a "platonic relationship" with the French President for several months.

What made the discovery particularly devastating for Brigitte, 73, was not so much the literal contents of the message as what it implied , a possibility, nothing tangible or easily denounced, but the mere idea was sufficient. As one of Brigitte's close friends told Tardif: "She saw herself being erased."

The Élysée Palace initially dismissed the footage as a fabrication before eventually acknowledging its authenticity. Macron later characterised the moment as a minor instance of "squabbling," saying: "My wife and I were squabbling, we were rather joking and I was taken by surprise."

Even US President Donald Trump weighed in mockingly, claiming Brigitte "treats him extremely badly" - to which Macron fired back that the remarks were "neither elegant nor up to standard."

Both Brigitte's representatives and Farahani have categorically denied the allegations. Farahani told Le Point : "I think there is a lack of love for some people and they need to create romances like this to fill the void." The first couple, meanwhile, remains together.