Brigitte Macron, the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, is making headlines again after a video appeared to show her shoving his face away as they arrived in Vietnam. The footage quickly went viral on social media, with many taking this gesture to be a "slap". This is not the first time the couple's relationship has been thrust into the spotlight. The story began in 1993 at the Catholic Lycee La Providence in Amiens. At age 39, Brigitte, was a high school teacher and Emmanuel was just 15 years old and her student. At the time, Brigitte was married to banker Andre-Louis Auziere and raising three children. Coincidentally, her oldest daughter was in the same class as Emmanuel. As traced in Maelle Brun's biography Brigitte Macron: A Woman Unfettered, the families found out about the affair in the summer of 1994 after the Auziere's saw Brigitte and Emmanuel sunbathing by the pool together. Subsequently Brigitte and Auziere ended their marriage. "The maturity of a 25-year-old," is how Daniel Leleu spoke of Macron as having at 15. "He preferred talking with the teachers rather than being with other students." But the relationship was complicated somewhat by several matters. Anonymous letters were sent to Brigitte's family who ran a mechanized macaron factory. They also reported people literally spitting at her doorstep, according to Brun. Brun wrote, "From one day to the next, her friends, with whom she was planning a summer vacation, refused to speak to her." Then Emmanuel left for Paris to finish the next year studying politics and international affairs. When interviewed by Paris Match, Brigitte said even she didn't think it would last, worried Emmanuel would fall in love with a girl his own age, according to The New York Post. "My head was in a mess."
1. Emmanuel Macron first met Brigitte Trogneux in 1993 at a Catholic high school (Lycée La Providence) in Amiens, France. Brigitte, who was 39 years old, was a literature and drama teacher, while Emmanuel, who was just 15 years old, was in her class. Despite their 24 years age difference, Emmanuel and Brigitte formed a very strong intellectual and emotional bond immediately. Furthermore, Brigitte was married to a banker, André-Louis Auzière, at that time, and she was raising three children; Emmanuel's classmate was Brigitte's eldest daughter. Their relationship came under a fair amount of scrutiny and controversy at the outset. This was mostly due to Brigitte's marriage and Emmanuel's youth. Over time Brigitte divorced and married Emmanuel in 2007. Their love story continues to be unconventional, and remains a colloquially defined and popular, even if not prominently featured, aspect of their public lives now.
2. As detailed in Brigitte Macron: A Woman Unchained, a biography written by Maelle Brun, the secret relationship between Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte became public in summer of 1994. Reportedly Brigitte's family discovered there was something more than a friendship when they saw them poolside together, presenting a rare and intimate scene together to evoke suspicion. Brigitte was still married to André-Louis Auzière, at the time, a banker, and the discovery shocked both families. The scandal was front page news mostly due to their nearly 24-year age difference and Emmanuel being a minor. The emotional strain was put on them from published articles, and received criticism from colleagues on social media, and Brigitte eventually had to finalize her divorce from Auzière. Brigitte and Emmanuel remained lovers throughout, and ultimately Brigitte married Emmanuel on October 20, 2007. A story that has kept them from the public, are they or aren't they?
3. The former sports educator of Emmanuel Macron, Daniel Leleu, stated that at the age of fifteen, Macron was as mature as any twenty-five year old. Leleu recounts that although most teenagers interact exclusively with their fellow youth, Emmanuel was willing to have in depth discussions with teachers and adults; he specifically sought out the adult relationship. This choice clearly reflects the intellectual curiosity and emotional depth of Macron, an early indication that he was already destined to become one of France's youngest presidents. It may also help to explain how he was able to develop a very close relationship with his drama teacher, Brigitte Trogneux. Leleu's recollections provide early evidence of Macron's disposition and his desire to develop quality mature engagements with adults rather than meaningless friendships with youths.
4. The early relationship between Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Trogneux was laden with backlash and social disapproval, especially in their hometown Amiens. According to Maëlle Brun's biography, Brigitte Macron: An Unfettered Woman, many people were scandalized by the couple's romance, mainly based on their 24-year age difference, and the fact Brigitte was married with children- one of whom was in Macron's class. Disapproval was not limited to disapproving whispers; indeed, some people actually sent anonymous and threatening letters to Brigitte's family, who were proprietors of a long-established chocolate business and macaron shop in the town, while others were more hands-on, spitting in Brigitte's front door. Such actions showcase the social scrutiny and judgement the couple faced before solidifying their union and marrying in 2007.
5. In Brigitte Macron: An Unfettered Woman, author Maëlle Brun details the immense personal cost Brigitte experienced when her relationship with Emmanuel Macron was public. When Emmanuel moved to Paris to finish his last year in politics and international affairs, physical distance only made a complicated situation worse. Brigitte's social world quickly disintegrated; friends who had vacationed with Brigitte were now strangers. They could no longer look Brigitte in the eye, and any attempts of Brigitte to make plans with the couples were denied and cut off completely. In a straightforward interview to Paris Match, Brigitte would explain, "I doubted that I could accept the relationship. I was afraid he would fall in love with someone else, someone of his age." "My head was all mixed up," Brigitte admitted. This confusion, fear and vulnerability characterized Brigitte's emotional world during those years of uncertainty.
6. Despite the challenges of a long-distance relationship, Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Trogneux remained deeply committed to one another. They regularly kept in touch and met whenever possible. In 2007, following the finalization of Brigitte’s divorce, they married in Le Touquet—the same coastal town where she wed her first husband in 1974. Reflecting on their bond, Brigitte told Elle France, “Of course, we have breakfast together—me and my wrinkles, and him with his youth—but it’s like that,” acknowledging their age gap with grace. In 2014, when Emmanuel became France’s finance minister, Brigitte left her teaching career to fully support him. During his presidential campaign, their relationship faced media pressure amid rumors of Emmanuel’s secret affair with Radio France’s chief—rumors he publicly denied.
7. In her biography Brigitte Macron: Une femme de libre choix, author Maëlle Brun states that Brigitte Macron was seriously hurt by the rumors of her marriage, especially during Emmanuel Macron’s presidential campaign. They were trolling her and she could hardly stand it; she went through all the really horrible, defamatory media buzz regarding her husband's role during Macron's campaign for President. It was hard emotional times because of her public persona. The cruelest rumor was that Brigitte was some sort of clever ruse and a front for Emmanuel’s supposed clandestine love with the head of Radio France. Emmanuel denied this. The media frenzy certainly hurt Brigitte. In reference to a recent viral event, Macron replied lightly, "My wife and I were just clowning. The moment has turned into a sort of planetary catastrophe. Everyone needs to chill.”
8. Emmanuel Macron ascended to the presidency of France for the first time in May 2017, and he was re-elected in May of 2022. Emmanuel Macron is a former civil servant turned investment banker who served as Minister of the Economy for President François Hollande. After Macron left this role, he started a centrist political movement, La République En Marche, and soon won election as president. If an individual is elected that represents pro-EU, pro-economic liberalization and pro-modernization of the economy of France, then a pro-EU administrator with undue power is also elected. All and all, it hasn't really been a great or smooth presidency. Macron has dealt with protests galore while president of France, with many events and debates taking place in the country and ranging from large to small protests, or even occupation protests like the Yellow Vests protests, dealing with a global pandemic, and even potential pension reforms, all of which would invade his presidency. Also, on the world stage, Macron has positioned himself as a representative of the world and the spokesperson for the EU. Macron is politically polarizing. Macron is politically polarizing. He is recognized as being successful and ambitious, but socially disconnected from everyday citizens.
9. Brigitte Macron, whose maiden name is Brigitte Trogneux, was born in 1953. She has been the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron and the First Lady of France since 2017. Before her husband's election to the presidency, she was working as a literature teacher when she first met Emmanuel Macron, who was at that time a pupil of Brigitte's. The beginnings of their relationship drew wide attention when it was revealed that there was a considerable age difference between the two, she being twenty-four years his senior. Brigitte left the teaching profession in order to support the political ambitions of Emmanuel Macron. As First Lady, Brigitte continues to support Emmanuel Macron while having a well-defined public life. While her work deals with areas including education, disability and social issues, she often finds herself championing campaigns aimed at the welfare and activism for individual children focusing on inclusion and welfare regardless of their station in life. Brigitte is also regarded as a stylish, elegant, lady with a commanding public profile when she appears at official events. Ms. Macron enjoys a prominent role in fashion and culture, which has earned her respect from the general public. Brigitte Macron's more recent political standing is in France's postmodern world of politics, where the political elite establish the goals and needs of the public with misplaced expectations.
10. A video of French First Lady Brigitte Macron playfully shoving President Emmanuel Macron in the face when they arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam on May 25, 2025, went viral and sparked a lot of press commentary, and public talk. The video itself even shows Brigitte actually making contact with Macron's face, to which he took a small step back before they both flashed smiles and waves again. The Élysée released a statement defining their interactions as a private moment of "decompression" as a couple, and requested that everyone not read too much into it. Macron called speculation silly, and stated it was "silly" to speculate which was in relation to some misinformation on social media, but the exchange has generated conversations around gender, and double standards around public displays like this one.
