Golshifteh Farahani Named in New Book as Figure Behind Macron's 'Slap' Incident

 

Golshifteh Farahani Named in New Book as Figure Behind Macron's 'Slap' Incident

Iranian-French actress Golshifteh Farahani has emerged as a trending search term across major countries, driven by the release of a new book by French journalist Florian Tardif that alleges a "platonic relationship" between her and French President Emmanuel Macron — and claims it was the real cause of a widely circulated incident involving his wife, Brigitte Macron.

Background: The 2025 Vietnam 'Slap' Incident

In spring 2025, footage captured Brigitte Macron appearing to strike her husband's face as the presidential couple prepared to disembark from their plane during a visit to Hanoi, Vietnam. The clip spread rapidly across social media and international news outlets, becoming known as the "presidential slap." At the time, Emmanuel Macron dismissed the moment as a private joke between the two of them.


What the New Book Claims

On May 13, 2026, Paris Match journalist Florian Tardif published Un couple (presque) parfait ("An Almost Perfect Couple") through Albin Michel. The book is the product of interviews with approximately seventy people close to the Macron couple, and it offers an account of their private life — from morning routines to behind-the-scenes political tensions.

In a radio interview on RTL, Tardif named Golshifteh Farahani as the figure behind the 2025 incident. According to Tardif, Brigitte Macron came across a message on the president's phone from the well-known Iranian actress. "The president of the Republic, for a period of several months — no longer the case — maintained a platonic relationship with the Iranian actress. That is what I was told, and what I was told repeatedly," he stated. He added that the messages, as relayed by sources close to the couple, had gone "quite far."

When questioned about why he chose to name Farahani publicly, Tardif explained that the rumor had already been circulating in Paris, and that he had communicated this version directly to the Élysée Palace.

Responses From Those Involved

Farahani denied any liaison in an interview with Gala magazine in the summer of 2025, questioning the public's appetite for such stories. "The question is why people are interested in this kind of story. I think some people lack love and need to create such romances to fill the void," she said. She also expressed a personal desire to move toward simplicity and emotional stability, away from conflict-filled relationships she had experienced in the past.

The Élysée Palace acknowledged Tardif's version but indicated it does not reflect their own account of events.

Who Is Golshifteh Farahani?

Born in Tehran, Iran in 1983, Golshifteh Farahani left Iran in 2007 and settled in France. Now 42, she has built an internationally recognized career across Iranian and Western cinema. Her notable credits include the Iranian drama About Elly, Ridley Scott's Body of Lies, Jim Jarmusch's Paterson, and Lire Lolita à Téhéran. She has also served on the jury of the Locarno Film Festival and received the INA Digital Award at the Deauville American Film Festival in 2025.

Search Volume by Country

According to Kiolix Pulse data, search interest in Golshifteh Farahani spiked sharply following the book's release, with France accounting for the overwhelming majority of queries.

Country Search Volume
🇫🇷 France 120,000+
🇺🇸 United States 2,000+
🇨🇦 Canada 2,000+
🇬🇧 United Kingdom 2,000+
🇩🇪 Germany 2,000+
🇮🇳 India 1,000+
🇮🇹 Italy 1,000+
🇹🇷 Turkey 1,000+
🇪🇸 Spain 500+
🇦🇷 Argentina 200+

France's search volume far outpaces every other country on the list, reflecting the domestic significance of a story that touches directly on the sitting president's private life. English-speaking countries and major European markets each recorded several thousand searches, indicating broader international interest beyond French-language media.

Trend Detail Links (Kiolix Pulse)

Country-level search trend data for this topic is available on Kiolix Pulse:

  • 🇺🇸 United States: https://trend-now.org/google-search-trends/us/golshifteh%20farahani
  • 🇫🇷 France (macron giflé): https://trend-now.org/google-search-trends/fr/macron%20gifl%C3%A9
  • 🇫🇷 France: https://trend-now.org/google-search-trends/fr/golshifteh%20farahani
  • 🇨🇦 Canada: https://trend-now.org/google-search-trends/ca/golshifteh%20farahani
  • 🇮🇳 India: https://trend-now.org/google-search-trends/in/golshifteh%20farahani
  • 🇮🇹 Italy: https://trend-now.org/google-search-trends/it/golshifteh%20farahani
  • 🇬🇧 United Kingdom: https://trend-now.org/google-search-trends/gb/golshifteh%20farahani
  • 🇹🇷 Turkey: https://trend-now.org/google-search-trends/tr/golshifteh%20farahani
  • 🇩🇪 Germany: https://trend-now.org/google-search-trends/de/golshifteh%20farahani
  • 🇪🇸 Spain: https://trend-now.org/google-search-trends/es/golshifteh%20farahani
  • 🇦🇷 Argentina: https://trend-now.org/google-search-trends/ar/golshifteh%20farahani

Sources

  • CNews (May 13, 2026): https://www.cnews.fr/france/2026-05-13/gifle-de-brigitte-emmanuel-macron-des-textos-entre-le-president-et-lactrice
  • La Libre Belgique (May 13, 2026): https://www.lalibre.be/international/europe/2026/05/13/une-relation-platonique-pendant-quelques-mois-avec-une-actrice-un-livre-relance-les-speculations-sur-la-gifle-de-brigitte-a-emmanuel-macron-LC2CWMBA2BA4BBXPZ6GYRCDWQI/
  • Asatu News / Un couple (presque) parfait coverage: https://www.asatunews.co.id/fr/secrets-couple-macron-livre-florian-tardif


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