‘The Odyssey’ Star Zendaya’s Seated Handshake With Brigitte Macron Ignites a Paris Fashion Week Firestorm: Rude Snub or Total Overreaction?

Fashion Week front rows are part runway, part social minefield. Seating charts, air kisses and who greets whom can become a story as quickly as the clothes themselves. This week, a brief exchange between Zendaya and Brigitte Macron turned into one of the most talked-about moments of Paris.

The setting was Louis Vuitton’s Spring/Summer 2027 show on Tuesday, held in the Cour Carrée of the Louvre. It was the final major show of Paris Fashion Week, and the front row was packed with fellow Louis Vuitton ambassadors Emma Stone and Ana de Armas, along with Saoirse Ronan. Zendaya, an ambassador for the house herself, arrived in a pair of jeans and a white ruffled jacket over a tank top.

Then came the moment that took over social media. A clip shows Brigitte Macron, the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, walking up to Zendaya’s seat to say hello. Zendaya, 30, shook her hand and greeted her warmly, but she did not stand up.

Zendaya girl…. you gotta get up when the First Lady of France is trying to say hello to you 😭😭😭😭😭 https://t.co/YoJs70NCiN

— Louis Pisano (@LouisPisano) October 6, 2026

According to reports, Zendaya was chatting with another guest when Macron approached. She looked up, smiled and said it was a pleasure to meet her, shaking hands while still seated. The clip was shared by Paris Match, then spread widely on X after a user captioned it with a line telling Zendaya she had to get up when the First Lady of France comes to say hello.

That post collected tens of thousands of likes and thousands of replies. The video itself does not make clear whether Zendaya recognized Macron as she approached, though she can be seen acknowledging her warmly.

Critics argued that tradition calls for standing when meeting a First Lady, and several called the moment rude. Some pointed out that a handshake is generally considered best done on your feet, and others said it was simply a matter of basic manners.

The criticism did not stop there. Some commenters noted that Zendaya also stayed seated when Bernard Arnault, the chief executive of LVMH, which owns Louis Vuitton, greeted her moments earlier. In their view, staying seated for the man who runs the company paying her to be there made it look worse. Others took a generational angle, suggesting that old-fashioned manners are fading among younger celebrities.

Plenty of people came to her rescue. Defenders said she looked caught off guard, and that the show was about to begin, which may have made standing awkward in a crowded row. Others argued that a fashion show front row is hardly a formal state occasion, and that Zendaya is neither a French citizen nor a foreign dignitary bound by protocol.

Many also noted that the actress came across as polite and gracious in the footage, with a smile and a handshake the whole way through. Several said there is no universal rule requiring guests to stand every time someone stops by their seat at a fashion event. As of now, neither Zendaya nor Macron has addressed the reactions.

The debate adds to a week in which Zendaya has already drawn plenty of attention in Paris. Her outfit alone was widely discussed, as she paired the white lace jacket with relaxed jeans and debuted a cropped pixie cut. Coverage also noted that she has been keeping a lower profile when she is not promoting a film, though her ambassador duties still bring her to events like this.

That context matters, because the greeting is unlikely to have been about disrespect and more likely about timing. A packed front row, a chat in progress and a surprise visitor make for a very quick moment, and the internet has frozen it into a full etiquette trial. Whether it was a social slip or a nothing-burger probably depends on who is watching.

For now, the clip keeps circulating and the comment sections remain divided. The episode also shows how every small interaction at a major fashion event can become fodder once a camera is rolling.

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