A new biography of French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte has sparked controversy with allegations of marital tensions, including a viral incident where Brigitte allegedly slapped Macron, dismissed interns, and had a strained relationship with Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani. The book, Un Couple (Presque) Parfait — An (Almost) Perfect Couple by Florian Tardif, has become a bestseller in France, shedding light on the personal dynamics of the French first couple.

The Viral Slap: A Message from Golshifteh Farahani

The book claims that the viral incident in May last year, where Brigitte Macron was seen pushing the French president in the face, was sparked by a message from Golshifteh Farahani on Macron's phone .. According to Tardif , Macron had been praising the Iranian actress as "jolie" (pretty) and "magnifique" (magnificent) in texts, which caused tenion within the couple. The altercation became public when the argument continued on the presidential plane at Hanoi airport.

Dismissed Interns and Phone Surveillance

The biography alleges that Brigitte Macron accelerated the departure of a female intern named 'Scheherazade' who attempted to "use seduction to get what she wanted": a job in the Élysée Palace . Additionally, she reportedly dismissed another female adviser a few years later. Tardif also claims that Brigitte Macron dismissed a candidate after stealing a look at one of Macron's adviser's phones, declaring, "Her, she’s not getting in."

The Platonic Relationship with Golshifteh Farahani

The book suggests that Macron maintained a "platonic" relationship with Golshifteh Farahani for a few months, sending her messages that went "quite far," such as "I find you very pretty." Farahani, a 42-year-old actress born in Tehran who now lives in exile, has previously dismissed any speculation about her relationship with Macron.. She told Gala magazine last year, "It comes in waves, it appears, disappears...I watch, I observe: what can I do? It doesn’t even bother me. What’s the point?"

The Elysee's Regret and Denials

Tardif claims that the Elysee regretted not being honest about the dispute with Farahani, as it could have shown that they were a "real couple" instead of a "perfect couple." However, Brigitte Macron's representatives denied to Le Parisien that the slap was linked to the Iranian actress and emphasized that the French first lady would never check her husband's phone. brigitte Macron categorically denied this account directly to the author on March 5, specifying that she never looks at her husband’s mobile phone.