It appears Brigitte Macron is taking a page out of the Melania Trump handbook — she's been publicly dodging her husband's, French President Emmanuel Macron's, attempts at physical contact or affection, which, naturally, has only fanned the flames where divorce rumors are concerned. Melania has repeatedly snubbed President Donald Trump's PDA efforts, and she seems to care little about the internet scuttlebutt that follows. Brigitte, it appears, doesn't mind it either.
This shouldn't come as too much
of a surprise. Not only are Emmanuel and Brigitte one of those political couples with a massive age gap, but the story of how they met is downright scandalous. The French president first met Brigitte when he was 15. She was 39 — and his drama and French teacher. The real kicker? Brigitte was married with kids about the same age as Emmanuel. The two entered into a clandestine relationship that later became public fodder, leaving the future French president's parents, who first thought their son and one of Brigitte's daughters were together, shellshocked. Emmanuel was shipped off to boarding school, and Brigitte thought that would be the end of it — he would forget all about her and date within his own age pool. He didn't. The two kept in touch, writing each other letters, and Emmanuel made it clear that he wanted to marry Brigitte. And so he did, in 2007. By then, Emmanuel and Brigitte were 29 and 54, respectively.
Naturally, their relationship has remained the subject of some title-tattle, and one can't help but wonder how much pressure the unrelenting gossip puts on their marriage. When taking into account some recent public kerfuffles between the two, their marriage might not make it another year.
Read more: How Melania Trump Responds To Donald's Alleged Infidelities By Barely Saying Anything At All
Emmanuel And Brigitte Were Caught In An Apparent Lovers' Spat
In a moment that went viral and added to the red flags in Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron's relationship we can't ignore, the two were spotted in what appeared to be a physical altercation during a trip to Vietnam. As their airplane's door opened, Emmanuel could be seen talking to his wife, who was just out of view, before she shoved her husband in the face with both hands. Er, awkward. At that moment, the French president realized that the airplane doors were open; his eyes widened, and he quickly gave the press a winning smile. He swiftly disappeared from view, but moments later he and Brigitte both exited the aircraft, although she refused to take his proffered arm as they descended the steps.
Emmanuel tried to play it cool with the press. "I was bickering, or rather joking, with my wife," he told curious journalists (via Reuters). "It's nothing." Is it? French officials who were clearly trying to do some damage control told the press that the moment wasn't what it looked like. "It was a moment when the president and his wife were relaxing one last time before the start of the trip by having a laugh. It was a moment of closeness," they said. The video footage of the incident doesn't hint that Emmanuel was all that relaxed — or laughing, for that matter. An insider described it as a "squabble" to the Daily Mail, feeling it wasn't that serious.
President Donald Trump weighed in with his two cents on the matter when reporters asked him about the viral moment. "Make sure the door remains closed," he quipped (via People), before adding, "I spoke to him [Emmanuel] and he's fine, they're fine."
Brigitte Completely Ignored Her Husband When They Arrived For Their 2025 Trip To The U.K.
While paying a visit to the U.K. in July 2025, Brigitte Macron completely ignored her husband as she stepped off their plane to greet William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales. The French president gallantly held out his hand to his wife to help her down the airplane steps, but Brigitte kept her hands firmly to herself, relying on the railing — and not her husband — for support. Ouch.
All of this occurred in full view of the press and the British royals. Body language expert Judi James told the Daily Mail that the French first lady " ... appears to both reject and even ignore [her husband]." James added that she continued to do so once she'd disembarked the plane. As a result, Emmanuel Macron poured his unreturned affection all over Prince William and Princess Catherine. When he once again attempted to help his wife as they made their way to their waiting car, he found himself snubbed again. " ... he is again ignored as Brigitte keeps her hands firmly planted on her little clutch bag that she holds in front of her torso," James noted.
Emmanuel and Brigitte didn't share a carriage as they made their way through Windsor's streets to greet the British public, which was probably a good thing, because it would only have given the public more to talk about.
The Couple's Apparent Codependency Could Negatively Impact Their Marriage
Age gaps and controversial first meetings aside, a friend of Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron, Gaël Tchakaloff, has alleged in her book, "Tant qu'on est tous les deux," ("While We're Alone") that the couple lean on each other heavily. In fact, she insinuated that the two call each other almost every 90 minutes or so during the day. Emmanuel reportedly turns to his wife for advice frequently; in fact, Brigitte is said to advise her husband on political matters. When Tchakaloff spoke to The Telegraph in 2021, she set the record straight about the Macrons calling each other every 90 minutes, saying it was "a figure of speech," clarifying, "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."
Tchakaloff also revealed that, "They have a shared schedule" — each knows where the other is at all times, and whenever the French president can't get a hold of his wife, he becomes nervous. He's said to value her advice and has been known to change opinions about certain matters after speaking to Brigitte.
From what Tchakaloff reveals in her book, Emmanuel and Brigitte appear to be in what might be a codependent relationship, and psychologists warn that this can be harmful and lead to serious issues if not addressed. Constantly trying to fix your partner's problems and being obsessed with what they're thinking and doing at all times isn't healthy. In fact, in some codependent relationships, abusive behaviors end up being ignored. Was that what the public got a glimpse of in Vietnam? If it was, chances are the Macrons' marriage isn't in a good place.
Read the original article on The List.
