TORONTO – The video of a German man cutting all of his possessions in half to give to his ex-wife after a bitter divorce is fake.
The video that went viral last week, and was picked up by many media organizations (including Global News), was a marketing stunt by the German Bar Association.
In the video titled “For Laura,” a man was supposedly cutting all of his most valuable possessions (an iPhone 5, a TV, a bicycle and even a car) in half and selling the halved items on eBay.
An online legal magazine operated by the German Bar Association has admitted it was behind the video, which it hopes will draw attention to the importance of marriage contracts and legalities around marriage.
“We are very pleased and would have never expected that our message could reach millions of people worldwide in such a short period of time,” spokesman Swen Walentowski said in a statement. “No one here expected the numerous interview requests about the fake story and fake divorced husband Martin G. from all parts of the world.”
The magazine noted the items for sale on eBay will still be auctioned off with all proceeds donated to a charity.
“The German Bar Association would like to apologize to everybody who was teased for that purpose. Hopefully, at least, you felt well entertained.”
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