French journalist Florian Tardif’s new book claims that Brigitte Macron confronted Emmanuel Macron after discovering messages on his phone from Iranian-French actress Golshifteh Farahani. According to the account described by multiple outlets, the incident occurred as the couple was traveling, with the confrontation reportedly happening on a flight to Vietnam and the moment of the “slap” taking place when they exited the plane in Hanoi. The book portrays Farahani as having a relationship with the president that is “platonic,” and it argues that the text messages—rather than any other alleged cause—prompted Brigitte Macron’s public reaction.
Some coverage also notes online misinformation tied to the wider story, including an AI-generated tabloid magazine cover depicting Macron and Farahani together; outlets say this imagery is fake. Several reports further describe the book as part of a broader set of claims that are not universally accepted. Overall, the allegations are presented as coming from the book’s author and unnamed sources cited in reporting, and they are currently being disputed.
