French police probe fake Disneyland ‘marriage' with nine-year-old
PARIS — French police were on Sunday probing the circumstances of a bizarre stunt at Disneyland outside of Paris, with a group of adults suspected of hiring the theme park and paying hundreds of extras to stage a fake marriage for a nine-year-old Ukrainian girl.
Two people were held for questioning in the case, which initially caused alarm when staff alerted police on Saturday that it could have concerned an illegal child marriage.
But investigators now believe that the so-called "marriage" was staged, with the girl's mother reportedly saying that she wanted her to feel like a Disney "princess" for the day.
"The event turned out to be a staged event, with the guests themselves extras" invited to be part of the stunt, deputy prosecutor Alexandre Verney said.
"So it wasn't a wedding, but a staged wedding filmed with around a hundred extras. They hired Disneyland Paris, pretending it was a real wedding," he told AFP.
Four people were arrested and taken into custody, and the questioning of two of them—suspected of fraud and money laundering—was extended on Saturday evening.
They are the so-called "groom" who is believed to be behind the event, 22 years old and "presumed to be British," and a Latvian woman, 24, said a source close to the case.
However, the other two people detained—a 41-year-old Ukrainian woman, and a 55-year-old Latvian man—were released.
The investigations, including a medical examination of the nine-year-old girl, a Ukrainian national, found that "she had not been subjected to any violence or coercive acts," the prosecutor's office said.
According to the Le Parisien daily, which first reported the incident, a man had several weeks previously hired the Disneyland Paris complex for a sum of €130,000 ($150,000) for several hours before it opened to the public.
Staff were astonished when the nine-year-old appeared wearing high heels on Saturday morning, barely able to stand in the elaborate footwear, and they alerted the authorities, it said.
The paper said the man who organized the event had submitted false documents concerning his identity and Disneyland filed a complaint.
Hundreds of extras were bussed in to play the part of the guests, it said, while the girl's mother told investigators she wanted to organize a "day worthy of a princess" for her daughter. — Agence France-Presse
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GMA Network
4 days ago
- GMA Network
Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sanchez say 'I do' in Venice
Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez tied the knot Friday at a sumptuous ceremony with the rich and famous on an island in Venice's lagoon, out of the sight and sound of protesters. "This city seems impossible! It can't exist and yet, here it is!" an enchanted Bezos told a La Repubblica journalist Thursday who got close to the magnate as he whizzed around the canals by boat. But protesters had a different view, wondering how long Venice can endure: While the billionaires party, activists say the fragile city is sinking, overrun by tourists, and a victim of depopulation as locals unable to pay soaring rents are forced out. "No Kings, No Bezos" read a sign in green neon projected on the St Mark's Campanile tower on Thursday night. Serenaded Sanchez late Friday posted a photo on Instagram -- under a new name, laurensanchezbezos -- showing her in a long flowing white dress and him in black tie, though it did not provide any indication where it was taken. Bezos and Sanchez, a former news anchor and entertainment reporter, celebrated their nuptials with guests including Kim and Khloe Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey and Orlando Bloom. The tech magnate, 61, and Sanchez, 55, are staying at the Aman hotel, a luxury 16th-century palazzo on the Grand Canal with a view of the Rialto bridge. Other A-list guests are staying at the Gritti Palace and the St. Regis. The couple exchanged vows at a black-tie ceremony on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore Friday afternoon, according to Italian media reports. The wedding is thought to have taken place in a vast open-air amphitheatre on the island, which sits across from Venice's iconic St Mark's Square. The newlyweds were to be serenaded by Matteo Bocelli, son of the famed opera singer Andrea Bocelli, reports said. Michelin-starred chef Fabrizio Mellino prepared the wedding dinner, while the cake has been made by French pastry chef Cedric Grolet, the Corriere della Sera said. Sanchez is alleged to have prepared 27 outfits to wear during the festivities. 'Enchanted' Wedding guests snapped by paparazzi as they hopped into boats included Jordan's Queen Rania, French luxury goods executive Francois-Henri Pinault, American football player Tom Brady, US fashion designer Spencer Antle, the singer Usher, and Ivanka Trump, daughter of US President Donald Trump, and her husband Jared Kushner. The guests reportedly lunched Thursday in the gardens of Villa Baslini, on the islet of San Giovanni Evangelista. The celebrations are set to end Saturday with a party likely at the Arsenale, a vast shipyard complex dating back to when the city was a naval powerhouse. Bezos and Sanchez are donating three million euros ($3.5 million) to the city, according to Veneto's regional president Luca Zaia, and are employing historic Venetian artisans. Venice's oldest pastry maker Rosa Salva is baking 19th-century "fishermen's biscuits" for party bags that will also contain something by Laguna B, renowned for its handblown Murano glass. Trump and her family visited a glass-blowing workshop on the small island of Murano on Wednesday, according to the owner. "They were amazed and enchanted by the magic of glass," Massimiliano Schiavon told the Corriere della Sera, adding that the family had a go at blowing glass. Venice, home to the oldest film festival in the world, is used to VIPs whizzing around in speed boats, and happily hosted the star-studded nuptials of Hollywood actor George Clooney in 2014. Some say this wedding too brings good business. Italy's tourism ministry said Friday it expected the wedding to bring the city nearly one billion euros, with about 895 million of that estimated to come from the "media visibility" generated. But critics say Bezos, one of the world's richest men and founder of a company regularly scrutinised for how it treats its workers, is different. "Tax Billionaires", read protest signs along canals. "In the time it takes you to read this, Jeff Bezos's wealth has increased by more than your monthly salary", they read in English and Italian. Environmental activists have also pointed to the carbon footprint of the mega yachts and dozens of private jets -- at least 95 -- bringing the rich and famous to the city. But Samuel Silvestri, a 55-year-old salesman, welcomed the extravaganza. "Over-tourism is caused by those people who come with a backpack and their own food, and contribute very little," he said, "not those who transform Venice into a mini-Monte Carlo. This marriage helps the image of the city." Italy's health ministry has issued a red heat alert for Venice for the weekend, part of a heatwave affecting much of southern Europe. —Agence France-Presse
GMA Network
6 days ago
- GMA Network
After 'Dune,' Denis Villeneuve to helm next James Bond film
LOS ANGELES, California - Fresh from his success with the "Dune" saga, Denis Villeneuve has been tapped to direct the next movie in the storied James Bond franchise, Amazon MGM Studios announced Wednesday. The online retail giant has chosen a filmmaker very much in vogue in Hollywood as he makes his first foray into the world of the now-iconic British agent 007, first brought to life seven decades ago by writer Ian Fleming. Villeneuve, who is Canadian, said he grew up watching Bond films with his father. "I'm a die-hard Bond fan. To me, he's sacred territory," Villeneuve said in a statement released by Amazon. "I intend to honor the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come," he added. "This is a massive responsibility, but also, incredibly exciting for me and a huge honor." There is no word yet on who will play Her Majesty's spy. Daniel Craig's final portrayal of James Bond came in 2021 following the release of "No Time to Die." Since then, 007 has seen many twists and turns. Amazon paid nearly $8.45 billion to buy legendary Hollywood studio MGM in 2022, which included distribution rights to Bond's extensive back catalog. But for the subsequent three years, the retail behemoth was met with resistance from Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson, the franchise's historic producers who for decades had jealously guarded the governance of one of cinema's most valuable properties. The company run by Jeff Bezos finally reached a financial agreement with the pair in February to take creative control of the franchise. Some fans have expressed concern that the character will be exploited by Amazon through a multitude of new films, or spinoff series that go direct to its streaming platform Prime. Against this backdrop, the choice of Villeneuve, who also directed "Blade Runner 2049" and "Arrival," resonates as a pledge to purists. "We are honored that Denis has agreed to direct James Bond's next chapter," Mike Hopkins, head of Amazon MGM Studios, said in the statement, noting Villeneuve's track record with "immersive storytelling." "He is a cinematic master, whose filmography speaks for itself." Villeneuve's two installments of science-fiction saga "Dune" were each nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture. "Dune: Part Two," released in 2024, grossed $700 million globally and won Oscars for Best Sound and Best Visual Effects. — Agence France-Presse
GMA Network
24-06-2025
- GMA Network
France charges Briton over staged Disneyland ‘marriage' with child
Disneyland Paris emphasized in a statement that the event had been "immediately cancelled" by its teams "after the identification of significant irregularities." Ian Langsdon/ AFP/ File photo PARIS — France charged a British citizen with offenses including money laundering and identity theft after he allegedly organized a bizarre ceremony at Disneyland Paris where he played the role of the groom in a fake marriage with a nine-year-old girl, prosecutors said Tuesday. He is suspected of hiring the theme park before it opened to the public on Saturday for the staged wedding event, in a contract worth €130,000. The man, who has not been named but has a criminal record in the UK for sexual assault offenses, has in addition to his charges also been named as an assisted witness—a step before being indicted—in a probe into suspected corruption of a minor, prosecutors said. The incident initially caused grave alarm when staff alerted police that it could have concerned an illegal child marriage, with the purported "bride" a nine-year-old Ukrainian girl. It later turned out to have been entirely staged but authorities immediately launched an investigation. The British man played "the role of the groom after being professionally made up to display a face completely different from his own," the prosecutor for the Meaux region Jean-Baptiste Bladier told AFP. French judicial authorities were informed by their British counterparts that the man "has been convicted in the past, notably for sexual offenses against minors," he added on Tuesday. The man is currently wanted by British authorities for failing to comply with his obligations as a registered sex offender. 'Significant irregularities' The authorities have designated a 24-year-old Latvian who played the role of the bride's sister at the event as an assisted witness. The prosecutor said investigations showed the "marriage" was in fact "a fictitious ceremony intended to be filmed privately." The Briton is suspected of "recruiting, with the help of a Latvian citizen, other Latvian nationals to ensure the smooth running of the event, as well as around 100 French extras, who were falsely presented to Disneyland Paris as wedding guests," the prosecutor said. The Ukrainian child, who arrived in France two days before the event, suffered "no violence, either physical or sexual" and "was not forced to play the role" of bride, the prosecutor had said at the weekend. According to the prosecutor, Disneyland Paris was deceived, with "the organizer impersonating a Latvian national and using false documents to secure the contract to hire the park." The event was scheduled to take place between 5:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. local time, outside public opening hours, on the privatized premises "at a total cost of €130,000," according to a police source who asked not to be named. But Disneyland Paris emphasized in a statement sent to AFP on Sunday that the event had been "immediately cancelled" by its teams "after the identification of significant irregularities." — AFP
