A new book by French journalist Florian Tardif claims that Brigitte Macron's infamous slap of her husband, President Emmanuel Macron, was triggered by her seeing a message on his phone from Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani. The incident, captured on video in May 2022 as the couple prepared to depart a plane in Vietnam, showed the first lady pushing the president in the face.
Details from the Book
In his book '(A (Nearly) Perfect Couple)', Tardif, a journalist at Paris Match who has followed the Macrons since 2017, describes the moment as a classic 'couple's scene'. Speaking on RTL radio, he stated: 'What happened is that she saw a message from a well-known figure. An Iranian actress: Golshifteh Farahani.' Tardif claims Macron maintained a 'platonic' relationship with Farahani for a few months but sent messages that 'went quite far', such as 'I find you very pretty.'
Tardif insists he has verified the story and that everything in his book is based on facts. He says these messages caused tension within the couple, culminating in a heated argument aboard the presidential plane at Hanoi airport. 'This private scene became public because there was a misunderstanding on the plane. We thought the argument was over. It wasn't,' he concluded.
Official Denials
Brigitte Macron's representatives have denied the account, stating she never looks at her husband's phone. 'Brigitte Macron categorically denied this account directly to the author on March 5, specifying that she never looks at her husband's mobile phone,' the president's entourage said. At the time of the incident, an Elysee official described it as 'a moment when the president and his wife were relaxing one last time before the start of the trip by having a laugh.'
Background on Golshifteh Farahani
Golshifteh Farahani, 42, is an Iranian actress who lives in exile after refusing to wear a hijab while acting in international films. Born in Tehran, she became the first Iran-based actor to have a role in a Hollywood film since the 1979 revolution, starring in Ridley Scott's 'Body of Lies' alongside Leonardo DiCaprio. She was subsequently banned from working in Tehran for not wearing a headscarf at the film's New York premiere. In 2011, she was condemned by the regime after baring her breast in a short video to promote the Césars. Following anti-regime protests in Iran, she expressed solidarity with her home country on Instagram.
Previous Rumours
Rumours linking Macron and Farahani have surfaced before. The actress dismissed them in an interview with Gala magazine, saying: 'It comes in waves, it appears, disappears... I watch, I observe: what can I do? It doesn't even bother me. What's the point?' She added: 'The question is why people are interested in this kind of story. I think there's a lack of love in some people, and they need to create such romances to fill that void.'
Political Reactions
The incident also drew comment from former US President Donald Trump, who mocked Macron during a White House speech in April 2023, saying: 'Then I call up France, Macron - whose wife treats him extremely badly - he's still recovering from the right to the jaw.' Macron responded that the comments were 'neither elegant nor up to standard.' Even Macron's critics, including hard-left politician Manuel Bompard, defended him, calling Trump's remarks 'absolutely unacceptable.'
The 25-year age gap between Brigitte, 73, and Emmanuel, 48, has long been a topic of debate. They met when Macron was 15 and in her drama class; she was 39, married with children. Tardif's book revisits major decisions and controversies of Macron's presidency, claiming that in 2017, Macron confided: 'If Brigitte is unhappy, I won't be able to cope and I'll fail this five-year term.' Representatives of Farahani did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
