President Macron Responds to Viral Video Involving His Wife after Claiming It Was AI

The French leader initially claimed the clip was AI-generated footage, but it was later authenticated. He has since dismissed it as a playful moment between him and his spouse.

On Monday night, May 26, 2025, President Emmanuel Macron landed in Hanoi, Vietnam, accompanied by his wife, Brigitte Macron.

A video of the pair moments before disembarking the plane went viral online, sparking global reactions. In the clip, Macron can be seen standing at the plane's entrance when two hands — in red sleeves — suddenly shove him in the face.

The president appears visibly taken aback before noticing the cameras then smiling and waving. Afterward, he and Brigitte, who can be seen wearing a red blazer, exit the aircraft.

Macron's office, the Élysée Palace, initially denounced the video as fake. He claimed it was AI-generated and circulated by pro-Russian accounts aiming to spread misinformation.

However, The Associated Press authenticated the footage and confirmed it was genuine. Still, the Élysée Palace maintains that the clip wasn't as grim as it seemed.

"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 palace stated.

Macron also gave a similar explanation to reporters. "We are horsing around and, really, joking with my wife," he said, admitting that he was caught off guard. He added that the incident was being overblown: "It becomes a sort of geo-planetary catastrophe."

Despite efforts to downplay the incident, many have reacted negatively—sharing theories and accusations of domestic abuse, while others mock the situation.