Compliment to Iranian actress, the reason for Brigitte's slap to Macron
2026-05-13 15:11:43
TiranaPost
A new book on the private lives of French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron has brought back to attention the episode that made headlines in international media after the publication of a video in which the First Lady appeared to slap the president.
According to Florian Tardif, political editor of Paris Match magazine and author of the book "A Perfect Couple," the incident was a case of jealousy. In an interview with French media, he claimed that Brigitte Macron was angry after seeing messages exchanged with Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani on the president's phone.
Tardif says Macron had complimented the actress, writing that she was "very beautiful," while contacts between them had continued for several months in a relationship that the journalist describes as "platonic." According to him, these conversations created tension between the presidential couple and the situation ended in a strong argument, which later received public resonance.
The journalist insists that the information has been verified through various sources and that the messages he was shown were "quite intimate in tone." He adds that initially there was an attempt to create the idea that everything was just a misunderstanding, but according to him, the relationship between the couple had gone through difficult moments.
After the footage was published, the French president's aides tried to defuse the situation, stating that it was just a private moment between the couple before the departure of an official trip.
"It was a moment of relaxation between the president and his wife, a common intimate moment between them," they said in the official response.
Emmanuel Macron himself reacted publicly, categorically denying rumors of a family crisis. He admitted that the video was authentic, but criticized the way it was interpreted by the media and social networks.
"I'm surprised that this video became a global story. A lot of nonsense is being said," the French president declared.
