The mystery behind the infamous 'Hanoi Slap' that rocked the French presidency last year has reportedly been solved. In a sensational new development, claims have emerged that a series of 'flirty' text messages between President Emmanuel Macron and a world-renowned French-Iranian actress were the true catalyst for the public altercation.
Here are 10 photos of the stunning Golshifteh Farahani, as the world questions whether a 'platonic friendship' really pushed the First Lady of France to her breaking point on the tarmac in Vietnam.
The 'Hanoi Slap'
In May 2025, video footage sent shockwaves through social media. The clip showed French President Emmanuel Macron standing at the entrance of the presidential jet upon arrival in Hanoi, Vietnam. Suddenly, a hand reached out and pushed his face sharply to the left. Moments later, he descended the steps with his wife, Brigitte Macron, who appeared composed in a red ensemble.
Emmanuel Macron was slapped by his wife Brigitte as they got off the plane in Vietnam. pic.twitter.com/jLP5gHO1wp
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) May 26, 2025
At the time, the Elysée Palace engaged in swift damage control. Officials initially suggested the footage might be AI-generated, then pivoted to claim it was a 'moment of intimacy' or a 'joke' between the couple. Macron himself urged the public to 'calm down,' insisting they were merely 'joking around.' However, as reported by the New York Post, journalist Florian Tardif has now painted a far more volatile picture in his newly released book, An (Almost) Perfect Couple.
The Alleged 'Flirty' Text with Golshifteh Farahani
According to Tardif, the tension aboard the plane was not a joke but a 'significant argument' triggered by a discovery. The book claims that Brigitte Macron, the French President's wife, accidentally saw a message on her husband's phone moments before they were due to disembark.
The message, allegedly from Iranian-born actress Golshifteh Farahani, was one of several exchanged during what Tardif describes as a 'platonic relationship' lasting several months. '[This] led to tensions within the couple, which resulted in this private scene becoming public,' explained Tardif.
'I find you very pretty,' the President reportedly wrote in one of the texts. While the relationship was described as non-physical, Tardif said the level of familiarity was enough to create a 'serious misunderstanding.'
'What hurt Brigitte was not so much the contents of the message as what it implied — not anything tangible or condemnable, but the possibility itself,' reads an extract from the book. A friend of the First Lady quoted in the book said Brigitte 'saw herself being erased,' suggesting that implication alone was enough to trigger the public outburst.
Who is Golshifteh Farahani?
Golshifteh Farahani, 42, is a powerhouse of international cinema and a frequent critic of the Iranian regime.
Born in Tehran to a family of artists, she began her career as a child prodigy on the piano before transitioning to acting.
She gained international fame in Ridley Scott's Body of Lies in 2008 and has since become a fixture at the Cannes Film Festival.
Farahani has long been a symbol of artistic freedom, living in exile in France after being banned from her home country for her provocative film roles and activism. Despite the current media storm, she has consistently denied any romantic involvement with the President.
In an interview with Le Point earlier this year, she dismissed the rumours, stating, 'I think there is a lack of love for some people and they need to create romances like this to fill [the void].'
Official Denials and Reactions
The First Lady's camp has moved quickly to debunk Tardif's narrative. Representatives for Brigitte Macron told Le Parisien that she 'categorically denied' the account, stressing that she 'never looks at her husband's mobile phone.'
Despite these firm denials, the 'Hanoi Slap' continues to trend, leaving the public to decide whether the incident was a playful moment of marital levity or a rare glimpse into the private cracks of an '(almost) perfect' political marriage.
