Zendaya has found herself at the centre of an unexpected etiquette debate after remaining seated while greeting France's First Lady Brigitte Macron. The 30-year-old actress was among the A-list guests on the front row at Louis Vuitton's Spring/Summer 2027 show in Paris on Tuesday, where she was joined by the likes of Emma Stone, Saoirse Ronan and Ana de Armas.
A brief interaction that sparked fierce debate
Footage from the event shows Brigitte, 73, approaching Zendaya as the actress appears to be engaged in conversation with another guest. Zendaya then looks up, smiles and extends her hand to greet the First Lady, reportedly saying: 'Hello, pleasure to meet you.' However, she remains in her seat throughout the exchange.
The seemingly innocuous moment quickly sparked a surprisingly fierce debate online, with some viewers insisting Zendaya should have stood up to greet her – whether she was the First Lady or not. One person wrote: 'This is painful to watch, no basic manners 🥶 and it doesn't matter who's trying to say hello, you always get up!!!'
Another agreed: 'It's a matter of etiquette, a woman should stand to greet another woman. What Zendaya did is so rude.' And one viewer joked that the moment had convinced them of something about the younger generation, writing: 'This the first time I'm seeing for myself that Gen Z (no pun) really doesn't have those basic manners anymore 🤭 but what an unintentional power move to not get up.'
Others defend the actress
Others, however, were far less bothered – and questioned why the Hollywood star should be expected to stand simply because the person approaching her happened to be married to the French president. 'France got rid of the monarchy a while back. She can stay seated,' one person argued.
Several also pointed out that Zendaya may simply not have known who Brigitte was. 'I don't think Zendaya knew who she was,' one viewer suggested. 'If you notice she is chatting to someone and goes right back to chatting.' Another admitted: 'She probably didn't know who she was. I wouldn't.'
The video itself does not make clear whether Zendaya recognised Brigitte, and despite remaining seated, she can be seen acknowledging her, smiling and shaking her hand.
The show and Zendaya's outfit
The encounter took place at Louis Vuitton's star-studded show at the Louvre's Cour Carrée, which brought Paris Fashion Week to a close on Tuesday. Creative director Nicolas Ghesquière transformed the historic courtyard into a futuristic setting featuring concept cars, while his Spring/Summer 2027 collection leaned into lighter fabrics and fluid silhouettes.
Zendaya, a Louis Vuitton ambassador, opted for a considerably more casual front-row look than fans have become accustomed to seeing from the fashion favourite. She wore straight-leg blue jeans and a simple white top beneath an elaborate white lace Louis Vuitton jacket, finished with dramatic ruffles around the shoulders and collar. The jacket was actually a repeat wear, having previously formed part of the custom Louis Vuitton look she wore to The Odyssey premiere in Paris earlier this year.
Zendaya was joined at the show by fellow Louis Vuitton ambassadors Stone and Ronan, while Brigitte was also among the high-profile guests as the nine-day Paris Fashion Week schedule drew to a close. Still, despite the clothes on the catwalk, it seems one question has managed to dominate the conversation online: when someone comes over to say hello, are you supposed to get up?
