We Now Know Why Brigitte Macron Slapped the French President Last Year

Dmitri Bolt | May 14, 2026 5:30 PM

We now know why Brigitte Macron, the First Lady of France, allegedly slapped her husband last year, at least allegedley.

According to a new book, Un couple (presque) parfait (“An (Almost) Perfect Couple”) by journalist Florian Tardif, the incident followed after the first lady of France discovered that Emmanuel Macron had been sending flirty messages to Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani.

A Paris Match journalist's new book claims French President Macron had a months-long "platonic" flirtation with Franco-Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani — exchanging messages including "I find you very pretty".

The infamous May 2025 tarmac incident in Hanoi where Brigitte… pic.twitter.com/y6MUAyCdPf
— Clash Report (@clashreport) May 13, 2026

Brigitte Macron slapped her husband in the face after he sent flirty message to Iranian actress, according to a new book.

The book has claimed Macron text the actress telling her she was “very pretty” leading to Brigitte shoving him in a rage. pic.twitter.com/1VI6rLTh4H
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) May 14, 2026

Emmanuel Macron reportedly maintained a platonic relationship with Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani for several months, which allegedly led to Brigitte Macron slapping him. pic.twitter.com/ZGUkigebRT
— Globe Eye News (@GlobeEyeNews) May 13, 2026

“I find you very pretty,” President Macron told Farahani in one message. However, the journalist maintained that the president and the actress had a platonic relationship for several months.

"What hurt Brigitte was not so much the contents of the message as what it hinted at: a possibility … nothing tangible or that could really be denounced but the idea alone … was enough," the book read.

“She [Brigitte] saw herself being erased,” Tardif wrote, quoting a friend.

NEW: Brigitte Macron representative denies new claim that she slapped her husband after she found a message on his phone with an Iranian actress.

The statement from the French first lady comes after a new book made the allegations.

"I find you very pretty," Macron said to… pic.twitter.com/qzeTmllW2r
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 13, 2026

Immediately following the initial slap video, Macron's team claimed it had been a playful slap.