Book alleges Macron-Hanoi incident stemmed from messages to actress
The Elysee Palace has previously dismissed the Hanoi airport incident as banter, while Brigitte Macron’s team denies the First Lady checks her husband’s phone.
A new book by French journalist Florian Tardif alleges that President Emmanuel Macron sent a text message to Iranian-French actress Golshifteh Farahani stating he found her “very pretty,” which allegedly provoked Brigitte Macron to slap him as they exited a plane in Hanoi. The Elysee Palace has previously dismissed the incident as banter, and Farahani has denied any relationship with the president.
Tardif’s publication, titled Un Couple (Presque) Parfait (An (Almost) Perfect Couple), claims the text message sparked a domestic dispute during the couple’s travel to Southeast Asia. The book alleges that Brigitte Macron viewed the message on her husband’s phone, leading to a quarrel en route to the region. Tardif asserts that this conflict prompted the incident widely known as the “slap” when the Macrons exited their presidential plane in Hanoi.
The Elysee Palace has previously dismissed the Hanoi incident as “banter” or “horsing around,” and Farahani has denied any romantic relationship with the president. Brigitte Macron’s entourage has explicitly stated to Le Parisien that the First Lady does not check her husband’s mobile phone, denying any link between the incident and the actress.
These allegations follow rumours that began spreading in 2024 via Iranian accounts on X, according to Gala. Farahani previously dismissed these rumours to Gala, noting they “come in waves” and do not bother her. The speculation has had little impact in France, where politicians personal lives are not seen as a huge priority.
Most French people hold the belief it is a private matter, staying more interested in Macron's politics than his personal life. Neither the Macrons, the Elysee Palace nor Golshifteh Farahani have officially reacted to the new allegations.
