Macron Dismisses Viral Video Alleging Brigitte Shoved Him

French President Emmanuel Macron has brushed off a viral video circulating online that appears to show his wife, Brigitte Macron, shoving him during a public appearance. Responding to the speculation, the president called the interpretation “absurd” and clarified that the moment was taken out of context, CNN reported.

The clip, which has garnered millions of views on social media, shows Brigitte placing her hand on Macron's back during an event, which some users claimed was a push. Eyewitnesses and French media, however, report that the gesture was a brief and casual interaction amid a crowded setting.

Macron, addressing the rumors, said, “People will always try to read too much into a split second. There was nothing unusual about the moment.”

The Élysée Palace has not issued a formal statement, emphasizing there’s no official concern over the incident. Brigitte Macron has also not commented publicly.

The incident in Hanoi comes as Macron faces another swirl of online disinformation. Earlier this month the Élysée dismissed as “fake news” a viral claim - amplified by Kremlin officials - that the French president was using cocaine aboard a train to Kyiv alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The rumor, traced back to pro-Russian accounts, falsely claimed a crumpled tissue Macron picked up was a cocaine bag. The Élysée posted a rebuttal online with the caption: “This is a tissue. For blowing your nose… When European unity becomes inconvenient, disinformation makes a simple tissue look like drugs.”

The Kremlin’s foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova fueled the claim, suggesting the scene was part of a wider European dysfunction. French officials condemned the campaign as part of ongoing efforts by Moscow to weaken Western unity on Ukraine and manipulate peace discussions through false narratives and social media manipulation.