The Slapping Incident: Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron

On May 25, 2025, Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam, kicking off a tour of Southeast Asia. As the doors of their presidential plane opened, an Associated Press video captured a fleeting but striking moment:

Brigitte Macron’s hands reached out and appeared to shove or slap Emmanuel Macron’s face. The president, visibly startled, quickly regained his composure and waved to the cameras below, while Brigitte remained partially obscured by the aircraft’s fuselage.

The clip, though short, spread like wildfire across social media and news outlets, prompting a range of interpretations—from playful banter to signs of deeper marital strife.

Public and Media Reactions

The public response was swift and varied. On platforms like X, some users saw the incident as evidence of tension between the Macrons, with comments ranging from humorous jabs to outright accusations of domestic discord. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova seized the opportunity to mock the French president, quipping that Brigitte had delivered a “right hook” to her husband.

Media coverage was equally polarized. Outlets like Le Monde and The Guardian reported on the incident with a mix of curiosity and restraint, noting its viral nature while awaiting official clarification. Others sensationalized the moment, framing it as a rare glimpse into the private dynamics of France’s first couple.

Official Response

The Élysée Palace moved quickly to defuse the situation. An official described the interaction as a “moment of decompression” and “playful teasing” between the couple, denying any serious implications.

Emmanuel Macron himself addressed the video in a public statement, saying, “My wife and I were squabbling, we were rather joking, and I was taken by surprise.” He dismissed the ensuing uproar as “a sort of planetary catastrophe,” attributing the overreaction to disinformation campaigns that have previously targeted him with false narratives, such as claims of drug use with other leaders.

Despite these efforts, skepticism lingered. Some accepted the explanation as a plausible account of a lighthearted spat, while others questioned whether the official narrative masked deeper issues.

Analysis and Implications

At face value, the slapping incident appears to be a minor, misinterpreted moment between spouses—hardly a rarity in long-term relationships. Yet its amplification reflects the intense scrutiny faced by public figures in the digital age.

The video’s spread was fueled not just by curiosity but by a broader context of political opposition to Macron, whose presidency has been marked by protests, policy disputes, and personal attacks. Whether intentional or not, the incident provided fodder for critics and foreign actors, like Russia’s Zakharova, to undermine his image.

The Controversy About Brigitte Macron’s Gender

The slapping incident did more than spark debate about the Macrons’ marriage—it also revived a long-standing conspiracy theory claiming that Brigitte Macron is transgender or was born a man.

This rumor first gained traction in 2021, when a woman named Natacha Rey published unsubstantiated allegations suggesting that Brigitte was originally “Jean-Michel Trogneux”—a name tied to her maiden family but falsely presented as her own [Web ID: 21]. The theory, rooted in far-right and anti-government circles, spread rapidly online, finding a receptive audience among Macron’s detractors.

Claims and Supposed Evidence

Proponents of the conspiracy often cite three main points as “evidence”:

Appearance:

Some argue that Brigitte’s physical features—such as her jawline or stature—suggest a masculine origin. These claims rely heavily on subjective interpretation and lack scientific backing.

Age Difference:

Brigitte is 25 years older than Emmanuel, a gap that conspiracy theorists use to question the nature of their relationship. They met when she was his drama teacher, and their romance began when he was in his late teens, after her divorce from her first husband.

Relationship History:

The unconventional timeline of their courtship—Emmanuel was around 15 when they met, though their romantic relationship started later—has been twisted to imply a hidden past, including baseless assertions of grooming or a fabricated identity.

On social media, these ideas have been amplified with inflammatory rhetoric. For instance, an X post following the slapping incident claimed, “Macron’s ‘wife’ just attacking him in public should come as no big surprise. According to @RealCandaceO investigation into Macron's wife she is a he and has abused Macron since he was a child”.

Another stated, “JUST IN: 🇫🇷 French President Macron's ‘wife’ … who is actually a man … and his groomer when a child … slaps him in face”. Such posts blend the slapping video with the gender rumor, presenting them as interconnected proof of a grand deception.

Evidence Against the Theory

Despite its persistence, the conspiracy theory is unsupported by credible evidence and has been thoroughly debunked:

Documented Background:

Brigitte Macron, née Trogneux, was born on April 13, 1953, in Amiens, France. Her life as a teacher, mother of three from her first marriage, and later wife to Emmanuel is well-documented through official records, photographs, and firsthand accounts. There is no trace of a “Jean-Michel Trogneux” identity beyond the fabricated claims.

Fact-Checking:

Reputable outlets like Reuters and Le Monde, alongside independent fact-checkers, have dismissed the theory as a hoax, finding no basis for the allegations.

Legal Action:

In December 2021, Brigitte announced plans to sue those spreading the rumor, signaling a firm rejection of the narrative. Subsequent legal efforts have targeted key propagators, though the rumor’s online spread has proven harder to contain.

Posts on X countering the theory, such as those from @grok, affirm that “Brigitte Macron is not transgender” and label the claims as “false and baseless”. These rebuttals align with the consensus among credible sources.

Impact on the Macron Family

The gender controversy has taken a personal toll. Emmanuel Macron has publicly lamented its effect on their “intimacy” and family life, describing it as an invasion of their private sphere. Brigitte, meanwhile, has faced not just defamation but a barrage of misogynistic and transphobic attacks, highlighting the gendered nature of such disinformation campaigns.

Politically, the rumor serves a broader purpose. Macron’s opponents—domestic far-right groups and foreign entities alike—use it to discredit him, framing his personal life as a liability. The slapping incident, though unrelated, has provided a fresh hook for these narratives, as seen in the X posts linking the two.