Golshifteh Farahani reportedly exchanged texts with French President Emmanuel Macron [Getty]
French first lady Brigitte Macron reportedly slapped her husband just before they emerged from an aeroplane on a visit to Vietnam last year after she discovered flirty text messages between the president and Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani, a new book has claimed.
The incident was recorded by an Associated Press camera in May last year and was widely reported around the world, sparking speculation about the relationship between 48-year-old Emmanuel Macron and his 73-year-old wife.
French officials dismissed claims of a bust-up between the Macrons at the time, saying that the presidential couple were only “joking” and were engaged in “horseplay”.
However, the newly published book by journalist Florian Tardif, entitled An (Almost) Perfect Couple, says that Brigitte became angry after seeing a text message from 42-year-old Farahani to her husband.
Tardif claims that Macron sent text messages to Farahani saying things like “I find you very pretty” while she told the French leader, “I find you very attractive”.
Brigitte reportedly read the messages on Macron’s phone just before they were due to get off their plane in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi, and when the “slapping” incident occurred.
Despite the flirtatiousness of the messages, Tardif said that the relationship between Farahani and Macron is purely platonic.
“That’s what I’ve been told over and over again by their entourage”, the journalist said.
The Iranian actress has also denied several times allegations of an affair between her and Macron, after Iranian social media accounts began to spread rumours about this.
“It comes in waves, it appears, disappears…I watch, I observe: what can I do? It doesn’t even get on my nerves. What’s the point? “The question is, why are people interested in this kind of story? I think there’s a lack of love in some people, and they need to create romances like this to fill it,” Farahani said, according to Euronews.
Golshifteh Farahani began her career in Iran but has lived in France since 2008, after starring in the Hollywood movie Body of Lies.
Iranian authorities accused her of promoting “American propaganda” while denouncing her for appearing without hijab in the film, and she was not allowed to return to Iran.
She has since been a frequent critic of the Iranian government, denouncing restrictions on women and artistic freedom.
