Golshifteh Farahani is the Iranian-born actress suddenly at the center of one of the strangest political gossip storms in France after a new book alleged that messages exchanged with President Emmanuel Macron may have contributed to the infamous viral moment in which First Lady Brigitte Macron appeared to shove or slap him aboard a presidential plane.
The claims, published this week in the French political book 'Un Couple (Presque) Parfait' by journalist Florian Tardif, have not been independently verified, and both Farahani and Macron's entourage have denied rumors of any affair.
Still, the controversy has put Farahani, already one of the most internationally recognized actresses from Iran, back into global headlines.
Born in Tehran in 1983, Farahani became a star in Iranian cinema as a teenager before breaking internationally with films like 'Body of Lies' alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe. Her appearance in the Hollywood film triggered backlash in Iran, where authorities accused her of violating cultural restrictions and unofficially pushed her into exile.
She later settled in France and built a career that blended arthouse cinema, activism and blockbuster franchises. Audiences around the world may recognize her from 'Extraction,' E'xtraction 2' and 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar's Revenge.' She also starred in the Apple TV+ sci-fi series 'Invasion.'
Farahani has long been politically outspoken, especially regarding women's rights and repression in Iran. She became a symbol of defiance after posing topless for the French magazine Egoïste in 2012, a move she described as liberation from Iran's strict rules governing women's bodies.
Now, however, attention has shifted from her activism and acting career to allegations involving Macron.
According to excerpts from Tardif's book reported by multiple outlets, Brigitte Macron allegedly became upset after discovering messages exchanged between the French president and Farahani, including one in which Macron allegedly told the actress, "I find you very beautiful."
The author claims the tension exploded during a 2025 trip to Vietnam, when cameras captured Brigitte Macron appearing to push or slap her husband moments before exiting the presidential aircraft.
At the time, the Élysée Palace initially dismissed online speculation and later described the interaction as playful teasing between the couple.Tardif insists the relationship between Macron and Farahani was "platonic," not physical.
The slap episode went viral to the point that even former President Donald Trump joked publicly about it last year.
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