Latest news with #MacronCouple
Times
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Macron and le slap! What does it really mean?
There can now be few people who aren't aware that Brigitte Macron, the wife of President Emmanuel Macron of France, has been caught on film striking or pushing her husband. The video was taken on the tarmac at Hanoi airport on Sunday night, moments after the presidential plane landed on Vietnamese soil and the door was opened. In the Airbus's interior Brigitte, just out of view — only her outstretched arm is visible — can be seen raising her hand to her husband's face and shoving him. The slap (although it's really more of a one-handed shunt) went around the world within hours, and now we're all calling it Le Slapgate. Members of the president's entourage were quick to play it down. 'A moment when the president and his wife were decompressing … a moment of togetherness,' was their somewhat implausible explanation. Macron himself claims he was 'simply joking with my wife, as we do quite often'. But anyone who has watched the video can see him visibly recoil, and that red-jacketed arm meant business. It's hard to spin the incident as mere horseplay. In any case, however much they protest, this glimpse behind the curtain will not be so easily dismissed. The real issue here is that the Macrons have fascinated onlookers from the moment in 2017 he became France's youngest president at 39 when his wife was 64, and now the world has been thrown a titbit, a morsel of something sinister or not, that's sent the slumbering rumour mill into overdrive. The quarter-of-a-century age gap is intriguing, but more controversial is the circumstances of their meeting. He was a schoolboy of 15 and she was his drama teacher, a 39-year-old mother of three, one of whom, her middle child Laurence, was his classmate. Her eldest son, Sebastien, is two years older than Macron. History does not relate at what point their relationship became public, but Macron's parents removed him from the school in Amiens and sent him to Paris to finish his education in the hope that the separation would end their liaison. They hoped in vain, and the couple married in 2007 when he was 29 and she was 54. So far so weird. • I waited ten years to marry Emmanuel Macron, says Brigitte On top of that unusual beginning, or because of it, there have been rumours about Macron's sexuality. ('To say that it is not possible for a man living with an older woman to be anything other than a homosexual or a hidden gigolo is misogynous. And it's also homophobia,' Macron has said.) But the gossip that, perhaps inevitably, has gained the most traction is that their relationship is more like that of a mother and son than a husband and wife. She is said to organise everything from his diary to his clothes, and it is not unusual for her to 'scold him for doing something wrong'. There are many theories about what goes on in this marriage, and now we've all got a theory about Slapgate and what's behind it. These are the top nine conversations we've had since. 1. To be fair it wasn't a slap, it was more of a chin push, and we've all been there haven't we? Not to say that normal happy couples lash out at each other, except for, they occasionally do. We're not talking about taking a swing, to be clear, but if you are inclined to playfully push someone who is amusing/annoying you, or give them a light jab to the upper arm (No! You cannot be serious!), or push their face away when sitting next to them on the sofa (Why aren't you listening!), then you are also capable of the less frequent shunt of exasperation, the barge past, or the most French of them all, now we come to think of it, the hand-off. If aimed at the head (as Brigitte's was) this is pretty full-on but also not astonishing. It looks a lot like a 'No I am still furious with you … Va-t-en!' move. Or maybe 'Don't come near me, I hate your job!' Or there could be an element of 'Don't speak to me' going on there too. We've all clapped a hand over our partner's mouth to stop them talking, haven't we? Usually when they were saying 'and just when I thought you'd finally stopped, you poured yourself another drink and started to tell Geoff he needed to lose three stone'. 2. This proves they're a regular couple We're slightly surprised to find Petit Macron and Mrs Macron exhibiting marital frustration because we rather assumed this was more of a slick arrangement involving two people who support each other professionally, whose union is mutually desirable, but who are not (how shall we put it) passionate about each other. We thought they were a team, not so much a fighty couple who sometimes really get on each other's nerves. 3. It's Melania and Donald all over again There's a private plane, a hand-hold rejected, two stony-faced people standing on foreign tarmac looking as if they want to be anywhere but there with each other. It is all familiar. But Melania Trump (others might venture) would never raise a hand to Donald because she would go quite a long way not to have to touch him. And there's something about this moment that suggests a passionate argument not yet resolved to Mrs Macron's liking, whereas with M and D it's more like 'you booked me for three publics and two foreign trips and this was not in the pre-Flotus document'. 'The job demands upbeat smiles and flesh pressing and endless meet and greets' NHAC NGUYEN / AFP/GETTY IMAGES 4. She's fed up with the job Never mind the packed tour of southeast Asia stretching ahead, the job demands upbeat smiles and flesh pressing and endless meet and greets and wardrobe changes and long, long dinners sitting next to minor dignitaries, and she might just have been expressing her wish that he could do all this on his own for once. 5. They are French They are French, and the French, as all Brits have been brought up to believe, do things differently, especially when it comes to men and women. We're a bit blurry about the details but we know this much: French men are rogues and philanderers and all have a bit of cinq à sept on the side and they don't like feminism and are very much not on board with égalité. Your basic nightmare. French women are long-suffering but also the older ones (Brigitte?) quite like the old-style 'dance' (see the established French actresses coming out against MeToo and the tacit support for Gérard Depardieu and the like) and they all believe man-pleasing to be a basic feminine duty. They also will happily slap that man hard across the face if he transgresses and then all hell will break loose and there will be shouting, extravagant gesturing, lots of storming about (her wearing his shirt, him smoking a Gitane). We're not sure if any of this is true IRL but it's part of the French myth and there is no doubt that we expect fireworks from this lot. Slaps at the very least. • So the 'French paradox' was actually a fallacy 6. If it was the other way around and he'd pushed her you'd be horrified You would. Absolutely fair. 7. Things happen on planes, don't they? Well they do if you drink all your duty-free allocation, you are delayed on the runway for four hours and then the airline tells you they have been unable to load the meals and the loos are locked. Not so much on the French equivalent of Air Force One. But also it is true that 16-hour overnight flights do not bring out the best in people, especially people who need to be on parade the second they hit the tarmac. 8. Maybe it was 'horseplay' We've all got an actual horseplay story that didn't end well. The time you threw a potato (raw) at him and it chipped his tooth, for example. But look, if it genuinely was horseplay, we know how this goes: he would have grabbed her wrists and she'd have lurched forwards, they'd both have lost their balance and ended up sprawling on the floor and then we'd all be asking: is Macron the new Biden? So no point trying that one. 9. Is she the (very) scary power behind the throne? Macron did look taken aback, but did he maybe also look a bit like someone who was used to getting a clip around the ear if he displeased his handler? Very hard to say, of course, but factor in the mother-son stuff and bear in mind that middle-class French mamans are absolute tyrants, and you might be onto something.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Macron brushes off pushing from wife ahead of Vietnam trip
French President Emmanuel Macron is downplaying a video that appeared to show his wife, Brigitte, pushing him on the face as they were about to disembark a plane after landing in Vietnam. The video, taken Monday as the two were commencing a tour throughout Southeast Asia, shows Macron standing in front of the exit as the plane door is opened after landing in Hanoi. He is turned and appears to be having a conversation to his right, after which the French first lady's arms are seen pushing on his face, causing him to have to take a step back. Macron then turns forward, smiles and waves to onlookers before going out of view. They then walked down the stairs from the plane onto the runway side by side. He later told reporters that he and his wife were just joking around ahead of their visit to the country. He said the incident was being overanalyzed as a 'sort of geo-planetary catastrophe.' 'We are squabbling and, rather, joking with my wife,' he said. 'Everyone needs to calm down,' he added, arguing that the incident should be taken as an example of caution about disinformation online. Macron's office also later brushed off the incident in a statement. '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,' the president's office said. The Macrons have been married since 2007. They met when the now-president was in high school and she was a teacher and supervisor for a drama club that he was in. They married just more than a decade after first meeting, following Brigitte's divorce from her first husband. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Emmanuel Macron's Office Addresses Video of Wife Pushing Him in Face
Originally appeared on E! Online thinks everyone is making a mountain out of a molehill. After a video circulated in which the President of France appeared to be pushed in the face by his wife, Brigitte Macron, before exiting their plane on May 25, an official from the President's office set the record straight. "It was a moment when the president and his wife were relaxing one last time before the start of the trip by having a laugh," the official said in a statement, according to Reuters, on May 26. 'It was a moment of closeness.' The moment occurred after the President's plane landed on the tarmac in Hanoi, Vietnam, as Macron and his wife are set to begin a tour of Southeast Asia. In the video, Macron, 47, appeared in the plane's doorway before a hand reached out and pushed him in the face. Though the person could not be seen in the video, the arm was clad in a red jacket matching the blazer Brigitte, 72, was wearing as she and Macron descended the plane. After the push, Macron smiled and waved at the cameras before moving out of sight momentarily. The couple—who tied the knot in 2007 and are parents to three children from Brigitte's previous marriage—then walked down the plane's stairs side by side a few moments later. Macron's visit to Vietnam marks the first time a President of France has visited the country in almost a decade. More from E! Online Sister Wives' Kody Brown Reveals Why He Said He Never Loved His Ex-Wives Duck Dynasty's Sadie Robertson Details Final Moments with Grandfather Phil Robertson Demi Lovato Marries Jordan "Jutes" Lutes in California Ceremony: All the Details When asked about the moment by reporters in Hanoi the next day, per The New York Times, Macron replied, 'I was bickering, or rather joking, with my wife,' noting it's something the pair 'often do.' 'I'm surprised by it, it turns into some kind of global catastrophe where people are even coming up with theories to explain it,' he added. 'It's nonsense.' In his response to the incident on the plane, the President also cited two other recent events he said were then blown out of proportion. The first was a visit on May 14 with German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, and the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, on a train in Ukraine. After a video of the trio appeared online, some users suggested a crumpled up tissue on the table in front of them was actually a bag of cocaine. (Élysée Palace issued a statement shortly after condemning the "fake news.") When asked about the moment by reporters in Hanoi the next day, per The New York Times, Macron replied, 'I was bickering, or rather joking, with my wife,' noting it's something the pair 'often do.' 'I'm surprised by it, it turns into some kind of global catastrophe where people are even coming up with theories to explain it,' he added. 'It's nonsense.' In his response to the incident on the plane, the President also cited two other recent events he said were then blown out of proportion. The first was a visit on May 14 with German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, and the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, on a train in Ukraine. After a video of the trio appeared online, some users suggested a crumpled up tissue on the table in front of them was actually a bag of cocaine. (Élysée Palace issued a statement shortly after condemning the "fake news.") The second was a recent video of a lingering handshake with the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, at a meeting in Tirana, Albania. 'It's been three weeks — if you look at the international agenda of the president of the French Republic, from Kyiv to Tirana to Hanoi, there are people who have watched the videos and believe that I shared a bag of cocaine,' Macron added to reporters in Hanoi, 'that I had a 'mano a mano' with a Turkish president and that right now I'm having a fight with my wife. None of this is true.' He noted, 'So everyone needs to calm down and focus on the real news.' For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
National Post
26-05-2025
- Politics
- National Post
France's Macron dismisses video of apparent shove from wife, says they were 'horsing around'
French first lady Brigitte Macron appeared to push her husband away with both hands on his face just before they disembarked from their plane to start a tour of Southeast Asia this weekend. President Emmanuel Macron dismissed the gesture — caught on camera — as just horseplay, but it caused a stir back home. Article content Article content French media on Monday tried to decipher the interaction that cameras spotted through the just-opened door of the plane. The headline of a story on the website of the daily Le Parisien newspaper asked: 'Slap or 'squabble'? The images of Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron disembarking in Vietnam trigger a lot of comment.' Article content Macron later told reporters that the couple — married since 2007 after meeting at the high school where he was a student and she was a teacher — were simply joking around. Article content 'We are horsing around and, really, joking with my wife,' he said, adding that the incident was being overblown: 'It becomes a sort of geo-planetary catastrophe.' Article content #French President Emmanuel #Macron was allegedly hit in the face by his wife, Brigitte Macron, as they exited the plane upon official arrival in #Vietnam on May 25. The incident was captured on camera. — Shanghai Daily (@shanghaidaily) May 26, 2025 Article content His office earlier offered a similar explanation. Article content '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. Article content The video — taken as the Macrons arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Sunday — showed a uniformed man pulling open the plane door and revealing the president standing inside, dressed in a suit and talking to someone who wasn't visible. Article content Two arms — in red sleeves — reached out and pushed Macron away, with one hand covering his mouth and part of his nose while the other was on his jawbone. The French leader recoiled, turning his head away. Then, apparently realizing that he was on camera, he broke into a smile and gave a little wave. Article content In subsequent images, Macron and his wife, wearing a red jacket, appeared at the top of the stairs. He offered an arm, but she didn't take it. They walked down the carpeted stairs side by side. Article content Brigitte Macron was Brigitte Auziere, a married mother of three children, when they met at his high school. A teacher, she supervised the drama club where Emmanuel Macron, a literature lover, was a member. He moved to Paris for his last year of high school, but promised to marry Brigitte. She later moved to the French capital to join him and divorced before they finally married. Article content
BreakingNews.ie
26-05-2025
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Macron cites horseplay as wife appears to push the French leader
French first lady Brigitte Macron appeared to push her husband away with both hands on his face just before they disembarked a plane to start a tour of south-east Asia this weekend. President Emmanuel Macron dismissed the gesture – caught on camera – as just horseplay, but it has caused a stir back in France. Advertisement French media tried to decipher the interaction that cameras spotted through the just-opened door of the plane. The headline of a story on the website of the daily Le Parisien newspaper asked: 'Slap or 'squabble'? The images of Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron disembarking in Vietnam trigger a lot of comment.' The incident was dismissed as 'horseplay' (AP) Mr Macron later told reporters that the couple – married since 2007 after meeting at the high school where he was a student and she was a teacher – were simply joking around. 'We are horsing around and, really, joking with my wife,' he said, adding that the incident was being overblown: 'It becomes a sort of geo-planetary catastrophe.' Advertisement His office earlier offered a similar explanation. '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. The video – taken as the Macrons arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Sunday – showed a uniformed man pulling open the plane door and revealing the President standing inside, dressed in a suit and talking to someone who was not visible. Mr Macron married his wife Brigitte in 2007 (AP) Two arms – in red sleeves – reached out and pushed Mr Macron away, with one hand covering his mouth and part of his nose while the other was on his jawbone. The French leader recoiled, turning his head away. Advertisement Then, apparently realising that he was on camera, he broke into a smile and gave a little wave. In subsequent images, Mr Macron and his wife, wearing a red jacket, appeared at the top of the stairs. He offered an arm but she did not take it. They walked down the carpeted stairs side by side. Brigitte Macron was Brigitte Auziere, a married mother of three children, when they met at Mr Macron's high school. A teacher, she supervised the drama club where Emmanuel Macron, a literature lover, was a member. Advertisement He moved to Paris for his last year of high school, but promised to marry Brigitte. She later moved to the French capital to join him and divorced before they finally married.
