PARIS, Feb 14 — French President Emmanuel Macron’s candidate for Paris mayor in March local elections told AFP today he was dropping out of the race after the release of a sex video on social media.

"A website and social networks have launched vile attacks concerning my private life. My family does not deserve this. No one should ever be subjected to such abuse,” Benjamin Griveaux he said at AFP headquarters in Paris.

On Wednesday evening, a website published a video with messages addressed to a woman which was said to have come from the former government spokesman. It then spread to social media.

"For more than a year, my family and I have been subjected to defamatory remarks, lies, rumours, anonymous attacks, the revelation of stolen private conversations and death threats,” he said.

"As if this was not enough, yesterday a new level was reached,” said Griveaux, adding he was not willing to expose his family any further.

"This is going too far.” — AFP