Florian Tardif's Book Claims Incident Involving Emmanuel Macron and Golshifteh Farahani
The French political and entertainment worlds have once again been stirred by the release of the latest book by Paris Match journalist, Florian Tardif. Titled “Un couple (presque) parfait” (A [Almost] Perfect Couple), the book, released on Wednesday (13/5/2026), delves into the private life of President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron, including revisiting old rumours involving Iranian actress, Golshifteh Farahani.
One of the most controversial points in Tardif’s book is the claim regarding an incident that occurred during a state visit to Vietnam last May. Tardif writes of an alleged “slap” delivered by Brigitte to Macron just before they disembarked from the presidential plane in Hanoi.
According to Tardif, the tension was triggered by a text message sent by the President to Golshifteh Farahani. The message reportedly read, “I think you are very beautiful.” Although Tardif claims that the relationship between the two was “platonic” based on information from within the presidential circle, this claim has sparked wild speculation in the public.
Those close to Brigitte Macron have not remained silent. Through the newspaper Le Parisien, they strongly denied the narrative constructed by Tardif. Brigitte stated firmly that she has never checked her husband’s phone, let alone committed a physical act as alleged.
This denial was reportedly conveyed directly by Brigitte to Tardif on March 5, well before the book was published. However, Tardif still included his version of the story in the final manuscript of the book.
Golshifteh Farahani, the actress at the centre of the rumours, gave a calm but pointed response. Farahani, who has lived in France as a refugee since 2008, considers these rumours to be a never-ending cycle.
“This issue comes and goes, appears and disappears. I don’t even feel annoyed. What’s the point?” said Farahani. She questioned why the public is so obsessed with this kind of romantic drama, and suggested that some people lack affection and feel the need to invent stories to fill the void.
Farahani also provided a strong alibi, stating that during the period when the speculation developed, she was far from Paris, in Vancouver and the Amazon rainforest for professional reasons.
The book “Un couple (presque) parfait” adds to the long list of literature that attempts to dissect the dynamics of power and love in the Élysée Palace. Although full of provocative claims, the fact that the First Lady and Golshifteh Farahani have given official denials shows a difference in perception between Tardif’s investigative journalism and the reality claimed by the figures involved. (euronews/I-1)