Body language expert reveals Macron ‘true feelings’ about being slapped | World | News

French President Emmanuel Macron has said a viral video that appeared to show his wife Brigitte shoving her hands in his face on a plane was just the couple “joking” around – but a body language expert claims the couple showed no sign they were laughing about the shocking incident.

Footage of the French President and First Lady taken from a runway during their visit to Vietnam captured the moment Brigitte, 72, appeared to put her hands in her 47-year-old husband’s face as they were seen at the open cabin door of the presidential plane, which had just landed. Mr Macron has been keen to play down the awkward interaction, telling French media he was only “squabbling and, rather, joking with my wife”.

He added that the incident was being overblown into “a sort of geo-planetary catastrophe” and that “everyone needs to calm down”.

The French leader argued that the images and reaction to them offered a cautionary tale about disinformation in the social media age, noting that in recent weeks, other videos had been used to circulate made-up stories about him, with many originating from Russia.

Before Mr Macron addressed the footage, an Elysee official said the couple were “having a laugh” one last time before the start of the trip and that the exchange was actually a “moment of closeness”.

However, body language expert Judi James told the Mail Online she believed the interaction between the French leader and his wife was not a playful one.

She told the publication: “I would not describe the gesture we saw from inside the plane as one of ‘play’ as has been claimed.

“Pushing your partner in the face with your hand so hard their head reels to the side and they need to put a hand out to keep balance, especially with what looks like an extra ‘shove’ at the end of the contact, should not be normalised by calling it ‘fun’ just to save political face.”

Ms James added that there was no sign of the interaction being a joke between the pair, adding there was “no follow-up shared laughter, grins or teasing rituals” and that Mr Macron seemed to “touch his face too” in a “checking gesture”.

She said:”There is no follow-up shared laughter, grins or teasing rituals, Macron performs a think-on-your-feet wave before stepping back in towards his wife, but he seems to touch his face too, in a checking gesture.”

Brigitte Macron was 39-year-old married mother-of-three when she first met the president at his high school when he was aged 15.

Ms Macron was a teacher who supervised the drama club where her future husband, a literature lover, was a member.

President Macron moved to Paris for his last year of high school, but promised to marry Brigitte. She later moved to the French capital to join him and divorced before they finally married in 2007.