Emmanuel Macron’s wife seen shoving him in the face in viral clip as France’s first couple arrives in Vietnam

French first lady Brigitte Macron was seen shoving her husband, French President Emmanuel Macron, in the face while the couple was waiting to disembark their plane in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Video of the incident showed a uniformed man opening the plane door as Macron was seen wearing a suit and standing in the doorway. Brigitte Macron’s arms – in red sleeves – could be seen reaching out and pushing Macron away, with one hand covering his mouth and part of his nose while the other was on his jaw. The French president turned his head away but suddenly noticed news cameras capturing the moment. He quickly smiled and waved before exiting the door frame.

Macron and his wife later disembarked the stairs of the aircraft together. The French president offered his arm, though the first lady – seen wearing a red blazer – did not take hold of it. 

French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron disembark from the plane upon their arrival at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam, on May 25, 2025. (LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images)

“Everyone needs to calm down,” he said.

Macron’s office also downplayed the interaction. 

“It was a moment where the president and his wife were decompressing one last time before the start of the trip by horsing around. It’s a moment of complicity. It was all that was needed to give ammunition to the conspiracy theorists,” his office said, according to the AP.

Macron’s office also reportedly told CNN that the clip showed a “moment of togetherness,” and that the French president and his wife were unwinding after a long trip and playfully teasing each other. 

Macron is touring Southeast Asia this weekend.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.