Why Golshifteh Farahani is in news amid Macron-Brigitte row: 5 things about Iranian-French actor

Golshifteh Farahani at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival 4 cropped

Written by: Express Intern

4 min readMay 14, 2026 06:05 PM IST

Iranian-French actor Golshifteh Farahani has once again entered global headlines after her name surfaced in reports surrounding French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron. The controversy emerged from claims made in a recently published French political book, which alleged that exchanges between Macron and Farahani had created tensions within the French presidential couple. The allegations have been denied, but the episode has renewed international attention on Farahani, an actor whose career has long blended cinema, exile politics, and activism.

From becoming one of Iran’s biggest film stars to rebuilding her life in Europe after leaving her homeland, Farahani’s journey has been marked by both artistic success and political controversy.

So who is Golshifteh Farahani?

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