Disneyland Paris: Fake ‘Wedding’ With Child ‘Bride’ Prompts Police Investigation

French authorities are questioning two people after a controversial staged wedding at Disneyland Paris appeared to involve a girl believed to be around nine years old.

The incident took place early Saturday, June 21, before the park opened to the public. Disneyland Paris had been privately rented out for what was described as a legitimate wedding. However, concerns arose among staff and security when they noticed that the “bride,” dressed in a wedding gown, seemed alarmingly young.

Police were called, and an investigation is now underway. The Meaux prosecutor’s office later clarified that the event was not a legal marriage but a staged performance involving professional actors.

“The event turned out to be a staged wedding. The guests were all actors,” the deputy prosecutor told Agence France-Presse (AFP). “It wasn’t an actual marriage but a simulated ceremony, filmed with about 100 extras. Disneyland Paris had been privately rented under the pretense that it was a genuine wedding.”

Initially, four people were detained in connection with the staged wedding at Disneyland Paris. As of Sunday, two remain under investigation for suspected fraud and money laundering: a 22-year-old British man believed to have played the groom and organized the event, and a 24-year-old woman from Latvia.

Authorities confirmed that the child involved—a Ukrainian girl—was found safe and had not experienced any violence or coercion. Her 41-year-old mother and a 55-year-old Latvian man were also taken into custody but have since been released.

Disneyland Paris, Europe’s most visited theme park, does offer costly private wedding packages, typically using its iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle as a backdrop.

Investigators are still working to determine the motive behind the unusual event and the specific role the child was intended to play. According to Le Parisien, extras hired to pose as wedding guests were bused in for the occasion.

One woman, who said she was hired as a guest, told France Inter radio: “I saw the Disney staff in a panic. Then, through a window, I saw a small child in a wedding dress. A woman was carrying her, and that’s when I realized the child was really young.”

In a statement, Disneyland Paris confirmed: “A private event booked at our destination was immediately cancelled by our staff after irregularities were identified. Police were called and responded quickly.”

Disneyland Paris stated that it is fully cooperating with authorities and has filed its own legal complaint regarding the incident.