The favoured candidate of the French president, Emmanuel Macron, in upcoming elections for Paris mayor has dropped out of the race after the emergence of a sex video.

Benjamin Griveaux, a former government spokesperson, said on Friday morning: “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.”

On Wednesday evening, a website published a video with messages addressed to a woman that is alleged to have been sent by Griveaux. 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,” Griveaux said. “As if this was not enough, yesterday a new level was reached.” He said he was not willing to expose his family any further.