Paris: A sex scandal brought an end to the campaign of a Paris mayoral candidate on Friday, an unusual episode in a country with a reputation for shrugging over extramarital affairs and the private lives of its politicians.

Paris mayoral candidate Benjamin Griveaux has stepped down. Credit:AP

Benjamin Griveaux announced he was ending his campaign after the circulation of an undated video apparently depicting him masturbating - footage the politician allegedly recorded on his phone and sent to a woman who was not his wife.

His departure shakes up the Paris mayor's race. With only a month to go before the vote, President Emmanuel Macron's party now does not have a candidate - though Griveaux had already been trailing in the polls.

But the bigger question on people's minds was why he bowed out and why he did it so quickly.