It seems Brigitte Macron may be taking a page out of the Melania Trump Guide to Public Spousal Relations: avoid your husband’s touch like it’s a live wire. Recently, the French First Lady has been caught on camera expertly dodging her hubby, French President Emmanuel Macron’s attempts at a simple show of affection. For the obvious reasons, this has sent the rumor mill into overdrive.
Melania Trump has famously swatted away Donald’s hands in public like she was avoiding a sneeze in flu season. And just like Melania, Brigitte doesn’t seem particularly worried about what people are saying, or not saying, online.
Now, to be fair, the Macron love story has always been a bit unconventional. When Emmanuel met Brigitte, he was just 15. She, on the other hand, was 39. Plot twist? She happened to be his drama teacher at that point. Not just that. She was also married and had kids close to Emmanuel’s age. The whole thing read more like a soap opera than the beginning of a presidential romance.
Emmanuel’s parents initially assumed their teenage son had taken a liking to one of Brigitte’s daughters. They were in for a rude awakening. Once the real story surfaced, young Macron was promptly shipped off to boarding school, presumably with the hope that distance (and age-appropriate classmates) would fix the situation.
But teenage Emmanuel had other plans. The pair kept in touch by writing letters, and he made it very clear that he was going to marry her one day. And he did in 2007, when he was 29 and she was 54.
That unusual origin story has kept their relationship under a microscope ever since. And lately, the cracks might be starting to show.
When a Shove Goes Viral
During a recent trip to Vietnam, the Macrons had what could politely be called a “moment.” As the door to their aircraft opened, cameras caught what looked suspiciously like a lovers’ quarrel. Emmanuel was mid-sentence, speaking to Brigitte (who was just off camera), when she appeared to shove him in the face with both hands. Not exactly the romantic French greeting one might expect.
WWIII start, Macron and her wife Brigette 😂😂😂😂
French President Emmanuel Macron got slapped from his wife Brigette in full public & Paparazzi 😂😂😂 #Macron pic.twitter.com/DCFMOKRvF3
— Sumit (@SumitHansd) May 26, 2025
Macron’s reaction was a masterclass in damage control. His eyes widened when he realized the cameras were rolling, and he quickly pulled on a presidential smile before ducking out of view. A few moments later, the couple reemerged, but Brigitte made no effort to take his arm as they descended the stairs.
Trying to smooth things over, Macron brushed it off with reporters. “I was bickering, or rather joking, with my wife,” he explained (via Reuters). “It’s nothing.” French officials also jumped in with some spin, insisting the interaction was actually “a moment of closeness” between the couple. That may have been the intention, but the video said otherwise. Emmanuel looked neither relaxed nor amused.
An insider gave a less romantic interpretation, telling the Daily Mail it was just a “squabble.” Meanwhile, Donald Trump, never one to miss a headline, remarked, “Make sure the door remains closed,” before adding, “I spoke to him [Emmanuel] and he’s fine, they’re fine” (via People).
The Cold Shoulder at Britain
As if things weren’t awkward enough, Brigitte delivered another public snub during the Macrons’ visit to the UK this month. When stepping off their plane to greet Prince William and Princess Catherine, Emmanuel did the gentlemanly thing and extended a hand to help his wife down the steps. Brigitte opted for the railing instead, cold and dependable.
Macron and Brigitte seem to be having another rough moment — the First Lady of France pointedly refused to take her husband’s hand 🤨
The couple is currently on a visit to the UK 🇬🇧
What is he doing on those planes that annoys her so much? pic.twitter.com/qbxB8NCruw
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) July 8, 2025
Body language expert Judi James didn’t miss the moment. Speaking to the Daily Mail, she observed that Brigitte “appears to both reject and even ignore [her husband].” And the frosty reception didn’t end there. Once on the tarmac, Brigitte kept her hands clasped tightly around her clutch bag, rebuffing another attempt at contact from her husband.
Later, when the time came for the ceremonial carriage ride through Windsor, the Macrons didn’t even share a ride. A smart move, perhaps! Fewer public displays, fewer headlines.
Are They Too Close for Comfort?
Let’s rewind from the icy glares and public brush-offs to something a little more subtle, or maybe not so subtle. According to author and Macron confidante Gaël Tchakaloff, Emmanuel and Brigitte may be, well, too close. In her book Tant qu’on est tous les deux (“While We’re Alone”), she described the couple as being almost surgically attached, reportedly calling each other nearly every 90 minutes.
Tchakaloff later clarified to The Telegraph that this wasn’t literal. “It was a figure of speech,” she explained. “What I wanted to convey was that they talk as often as they can, day and night. […] When he’s travelling, he phones her all the time.”
According to the book, their schedules are practically synchronized. If Brigitte goes off the radar, Emmanuel reportedly gets anxious. He even consults her on political decisions and has been known to change his stance after their chats.
King Charles, Queen Camilla, and The Prince and Princess of Wales during a ceremonial welcome at Windsor Castle for President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron. pic.twitter.com/WoTmQSWuy4
— Helen Rosa (@HelenRosamond11) July 8, 2025
While that level of closeness might sound endearing to some, psychologists call it what it is: codependency. And that’s not always a good thing. When one partner relies too heavily on the other for emotional support, decision-making, or reassurance, it can put the entire relationship under stress. In more extreme cases, it leads to unhealthy dynamics where bad behavior gets overlooked or normalized.
So when the public sees a physical shove or a frosty hand-rejecting moment, it raises a question: is this all just a minor marital hiccup, or is it a sign of something deeper?
Final Curtain?
At the end of the day, maybe the Macrons are just like any long-term couple. A little bickering, a little ignoring, and maybe a few too many phone calls. But when you throw in an unconventional origin story, global press coverage, and high-stakes political life, the strain starts to show.
If these recent incidents are anything to go by, the Macrons’ marriage might be heading for a rocky patch. Whether it makes it another year or not? Well, the world, and the cameras will be watching.
