Brigette macron hits Emmanuel

[Stressedout150]

has anyone seen this on the news?! What do we all think, it’s all a bit bizarre

And to state the bleeding obvious there is a difference between a 26 year old MAN and a 15 year old BOY, whatever the sodding age of consent is.

@Charlize43 have you ever heard of abuse victims denying it? It blows my mind that you think his denial means that it wasn’t abuse. I’m not sure if you’re aware but women often put make up on to conceal bruises, or they say they walked into a door to excuse the injuries. I’m surprised I’m having to tell you this stuff. When a victim says it didn’t happen, do you know what that means? It means nothing.

@SnoozingFox So true. To be honest I'd thought it was so obvious it didn't need saying but judging by some posts I was obviously wrong.

And I still refuse to believe those posters would be as cool about this is the fifteen year old involved was a girl. Regardless of how "confident" she grew up to be

^ this is exactly what I was thinking.

And which of these excuses her shoving him in the face?

It's still assualt and it's still wrong whatever the circumstances.

There seem to have been an influx of Russian trolls with inferences about Madame Macron's gender and Monsieur Macron's sexual orientation. Complete garbage.

@placemats but you were speculating on what he might have said to her, as if this could somehow justify her actions. As I’ve said before, the only time a shove to the face is OK is if that person is attacking you and you need to push them away for your own safety. This was not happening, as is clear in the film. It really doesn’t matter what he might have said to her - he could have dropped the most horrific bombshell ever - it still doesn’t justify her shoving him in the face. So why are you speculating on what he might have said?

There is a lot of minimising going on. It is threads like these that make you realise how so many people get away with violent and sexual abuse. It’s because others just look away and say ‘it must all be fine’ . It’s just awful.

What a loada bitchy comments about her legs and appearance. On a feminist talk board.

I'm old enough to remember Bill Wyman and Mandy Smith. (I'm in my 60s.) So many news outlets excused that 'relationship'.

In the immediate aftermath he wants to make light of it, not least because he is trying to head up a European response to Trump, Putin, and Netanyahu. He needs to be seen as strong, not as the one who gets his ass handed to him by his old wife. A year from now they will probably be divorced.

And the ones speculating over what might have been an acceptable reason for her to have shoved him in the face...

Why would you try to find blame in him when clearly she is the one who slapped her? In the reverse situation, you wouldn’t have assumed wife pushing first to cause such reaction.

I’m truly stunned by the minimising and excusing going on here, especially on a forum for women, who are usually the victims of abuse. People speculating on what he might have said to provoke her, as if this justifies physical violence. And people saying that because he’s said it was a joke, then obviously nothing bad is happening. And people saying that a full-on shove in the face is a gentle act of love.

I’m shocked and saddened by the mindblowing ignorance shown by some posters on here today. I hope you are never victims yourselves, because it seems you wouldn’t have the wherewithal to know it wasn’t OK.

Wasn't it her mum that later ended up marrying BWs son? So messed up. I remember reading an interview years ago with Mandy Smith and she seemed quite a sad figure. Unsurprising really.

And it’s still excused! Same as why is anyone still going to see the Red Hot Chilli Peppers? The man admitted he abused a child yet everyone is just fine with it?

It’s so bizarre how people just turn away from such things because it might slightly inconvenience their own life.

It’s always the same on threads with male victims. Mumsnet has a massive blind spot when it comes to female perpetrators…

Having watched the clearer BBC footage a couple of times, it could be read as an act of punishment and humiliation. Certainly anger - but also the desire the damage him and mark him in front of those others who were important to him.

It's a trait and tactic more frequently seen in abusive men, but some women do it as well.

What on earth else are they going to say? Jeez 🙄

They claimed it was a joke but it does not look like a joke.

My DH is 18 years older than me. We've been married years and are very happy. However, I was a 47 year old widow when we met not a 15 year old schoolchild.

It isn't about the age gap. It isn't about her being older than him or it shouldn't be. It isn't about random gossip about her being a man (ridiculous) and him being gay (who knows about anyone, really)

The criticism is because a teacher started a relationship with a child who she met when she was running a drama workshop at school (this is according to her) where she was in a position of authority. I know the age of consent is 15 in France but if this sort of thing is condoned their laws must be pretty shabby.

The main fact is however that lots of us recognise what we are seeing and it wasn't OK. It will be spun but nothing will make me think it was a joke.

There is a huge difference between being an ordinary woman, albeit a successful and wealthy one, and being one of the most powerful men in the world. Regardless of the power imbalance in Mme Macrons favour at the start of the relationship, we are now talking about a supremely confident world leader and a 72 year old woman who's place and status in the world is entirely in his gift. If M Macron wished to exit his relationship he would lack for nothing by way of support and resources to do so. I think therefore it's reasonable to assume that his wife's behaviour is tolerable to him, regardless of the opinions of those looking at a few second snapshot of their relationship.

There's no way they were just joking about. She refused to take his arm as they walked down the steps from the plane. She looks like a puff of wind would take her too.

Give it 18 months and they will be separated over an 'unrelated matter'.

I'm referring to the fact he was a child and she was his teacher when they got together. Longevity of marriage does not detract from that I'm afraid.

Maybe he doesn’t want to admit, even to himself, that he is an abusive relationship.

Abuse is not as straightforward as you seem to think