Macron Files Legal Complaint After Being Photographed in Swimsuit - Report

Photos of shirtless French president riding a wave around the Cote d’Azur took over the internet last year as France was battling a dramatic surge in COVID-19 cases.

Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte have filed an invasion of privacy complaint against paparazzi for snapping a photo of the French president while he was jet-skiing in a swimming suit, according to a report by Europe 1.

Macron porte plainte contre un paparazzi car sa photo en jet ski ne le met pas en valeur.
Provocation ahurissante du chef de l'état. #Macronie pic.twitter.com/qfpS1QqHWB

— Reconstruire (@Reconstruire_fr) September 26, 2021

The photo in question was reportedly taken last year and for the past two weeks has been exhibited at an art gallery alongside pics of other former leaders of France under the theme “Presidents of the Republic at their holiday locations”. The gallery is located just in front of the Elysee Palace – the presidential couple’s official residence.

According to the report, the complaint was personally filed against Thibaut Daliphard, one of the exhibition’s photographers, who will be questioned by the police on Tuesday. The paparazzi told AFP he was “surprised” by the lawsuit, as much of the gallery’s photos have already been in media circulation.

“The photo on the jet ski shows a young, dynamic president, in a Kennedy-style, so I don’t see how the image is negative,” Daliphard told AFP.

The photographer said that the photo was “in no way” intended to undermine the president but only revealed an unknown side of the leader.

According to Europe 1, Daliphard has already been familiar to the France’s first couple. The photographer was previously accused by the French president of attempted invasion of privacy in summer 2017 for allegedly breaking into the couple’s residence. The complaint is said to have been eventually dismissed.

🇫🇷 Le couple Macron a porté plainte pour atteinte à l'intimité contre le photographe Thibaut Daliphard, révèle Europe 1. Il exposait des photographies sur le thème des paparazzades de présidents, juste en face de l'Élysée. Dont une de Macron en jet-ski,une provocation pour Macron pic.twitter.com/aGUJv8qOVV

— Nenad ZORKIĆ (@NenadZorkic) September 26, 2021

Last summer, several photos showing Emmanuel Macron jet-skiing at France’s top holiday spots were released to the media as the country was struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic, so the presidential couple has its reasons to be annoyed with photographers just ahead of the nation’s presidential election, set for April 2022.

French President Emmanuel Macron jet-skiing, August 2020. pic.twitter.com/SzXtXVqbf2

— The French History Podcast (@FrenchHist) September 12, 2020