Disneyland Paris workers were shocked to discover that a wedding they were hosting was actually between a man and a 9-year-old girl, leading to the arrest of the groom and the child-bride’s mother. The ceremony took place in front of the iconic Sleeping Beauty castle, with 300 guests and a string quartet in attendance. However, employees were taken aback when they realized the bride was just a young child.
The little girl, who appeared scared and confused, was dressed in a wedding gown and had five-inch heels taped to her feet. The incident prompted staff to call the police, resulting in the arrest of four individuals, including the 22-year-old British groom and the 41-year-old mother of the child-bride. Additionally, two Latvian nationals, a 24-year-old woman hired to play the role of the bride’s sister, and a 55-year-old man recruited to act as her father were also taken into custody.
It was later revealed that the father figure had been paid $13,840 to participate in the fake wedding and was unaware of the bride’s age until the last minute. Authorities suspect that the event may have been a social media stunt, costing upwards of $150,000. An online ad had been posted seeking extras for a high-end wedding rehearsal, involving 200 adults and 100 children aged between 5 and 15.
The hired extras were unaware of the true nature of the event until they arrived at Disneyland Paris, only to be asked to leave when the true circumstances came to light. The amusement park quickly took action to cancel the ceremony upon realizing the bride’s young age. The groom had reportedly altered his appearance for the occasion, adding to the deceitful nature of the event.
French prosecutors are investigating the incident, with two individuals facing charges of fraud and breach of trust against Disneyland Paris. The theme park has filed a complaint against the pair and is fully cooperating with the authorities in their investigation. The fake groom and the bride’s sister are set to appear in court in Meaux as part of the ongoing legal proceedings. The prosecutor’s office confirmed that the child bride, a Ukrainian national, had not been subjected to any violence or coercion, indicating that the entire event was a premeditated setup.
